This Girl Means Business - Issue 10

ISSUE

10

Lewis Howes:

The Epitome of the

LIFESTYLE

ENTREPRENEUR

IN THIS ISSUE:

20 12 4 Meet the Team 6 Contributors 7 The May Review

20

How She Did It: Interview with Alexandra Watson, Happiness & Success Coach for Women

8 Quote of the Month

32 This Girl Loves: Get the Look

By Samantha Green

10 Note from Carrie

34 We Asked, You Said

12 5 Ways to Make Money Flow

to You & Your Business

By Sarupa Shah

38 Cover Story: An Interview

with Lifestyle Entrepreneur

Lewis Howes By Carrie Green

2 This Girl Means Business

38 48

What We’re Reading: The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor Book Review by Michelle Rohr

52

Ask & Answered: How to get more customers from Twitter?

Alicia Cowan of TwitterBrilliance shares her top tips.

57

Sales Series: 7 Steps to Overcoming Objections and Rejections So You Can Close the Sale By Lara Morgan

68 Top 10 Tips: Ten Things to

Remember on Your Journey

52 ISSUE #10 Quick Links: Share This Issue Subscribe / Contribute View Past issues Share Your Story

s dqwertA S Hy yY Table of Contents 3

MEET THE TEAM

Carrie Green, UK

Natalie Walstein, USA

Carrie started her first business at the age of 20 whilst studying Law at university. Over the years she grew it into a successful global business and in 2011 she launched the Female Entrepreneur Association – an online platform where women from around the world can be inspired and connect with like-minded women. She loves sharing stories about inspirational people who are achieving amazing things and encouraging people to have the belief in themselves to actually do the things they really want to do in life. Her favourite quote is by Anthony Robbins, “Your destiny is determined by the choices you make. Choose now. Choose well.”

Natalie is a graphic designer, illustrator, & lover of all things colorful, creative, dreamy, & handmade. She is the founder of Half Asleep Studio, a dreamfueled art & design studio that seeks to propel the image of creative professionals & small businesses with artfully crafted, heart-fluttering imagery to help them attract their most ideal client while reflecting their own individual style. She shares her projects, inspiration, and visual point of view at halfasleepstudio. com. Natalie’s favorite quote is,

Editor-in-Chief

4 This Girl Means Business

Design & Illustration

“ Your dream job does not exist.

You must create it.”

Samantha Green, UK

James Stephens, UK

Samantha likes all things stylish and sparkly and firmly believes that the key to dressing and living well lies in the accessories you choose for your wardrobe and your life. She is the founder and editor of the blog Every Shade of Green, which features daily posts on design, interiors, fashion, accessories and more. An aspiring graphic designer at heart, Samantha started her blog in 2011 as an outlet for her passion for fashion and design, and is happily extending this love into the This Girl brand, where she enjoys sharing her stylish finds with readers across the globe.

James is a passionate writer and entrepreneur. He started his first business in 2005 and built it into a success. He is enthusiastic about inspiring others to achieve amazing things. He’s also an avid fan of photography, with an eye for detail and regularly enjoys going out with his camera. His favourite quote is, “Do something

Style Editor

Features Editor

today that your future self with thank you for.�

Meet the Team 5

contributors

Sarupa Shah // the soul agency Sarupa Shah is an award winning, celebrities Soul Agent and the owner and founder of The Soul Agency.

The Soul Agency works with entrepreneurs and leaders across the globe who want to put soul and spirit back to where it matters and create a legacy of love for the planet while living with unlimited abundance. Her particular passion is to show women how to heal their relationship with money and get on with changing the world! To learn more and grab your free ebook, 31 Money Affirmations, visit www.sarupashah.com or www.thesoulagentblog.com.

Lara Morgan // company shortcuts Lara Morgan is the founder of Company Shortcuts and best selling Amazon author of “More Balls than Most�, her story about building a global enterprise. Lara is a straight-talking entrepreneur who understands the frustrations felt by small and medium-sized businesses that have lost their way. Rather than administering generic big picture advice, Lara is dedicated to delivering honest and practical help to enable businesses to achieve their full potential.

6 This Girl Means Business

Free printable goal guide & mind maps to help you achieve incredible things

Click to download your copy now.

note from carrie

You have one life in which to do all the things you want to do, achieve all the things you want to achieve, live life the way you want to live it… are you living it? .

“

ome people love the word lifestyle entre preneur, while others hate it because they think it just describes someone who isn’t really serious about business. I personally love it; in fact, I think that we should all aim to be lifestyle entrepreneurs, because I think it’s the key to a happier, more successful and content life.

A lifestyle entrepreneur is someone who builds their business around their lifestyle goals. These goals will often include doing more fulfilling work, spending more time with their family and friends, taking

S

8 This Girl Means Business

”

time out to do things they love – travel, play sports, take up charity work. They build their business with the aim of being able to live the most incredible life possible.

To me that seems like a smart idea. It doesn’t mean that they don’t work hard and put a lot of effort into their business, it just means that they go about it in a really smart way. They leverage tools and resources (like the internet) and they build systems and processes so that their businesses practically operate on autopilot, or they pull together amazing teams of people around them.

I think a big misconception is that you can’t really be successful if you run a lifestyle business…

I know plenty of incredibly successful lifestyle entrepreneurs and in this issue I interviewed one of them to uncover how he did it. Lewis Howes worked really smart to build a multimilliondollar company that now lets him live life the way he wants to live it – doing the things he loves to do, you can read all about how he did it (with no budget I might add!) on page #38.

We live in a world where people are working harder and longer than ever before, which I think is completely fine if that’s what makes you happy – working hard can be very rewarding and fulfilling. However, there are a lot of people who are working harder and longer and feel like their work, business or career is like a ball and chain around their ankle,

and as a result their stress levels are through the roof and they’re left feeling unhappy and unfulfilled!

I can’t help but think that this isn’t the way life is supposed to be lived. So I think it’s time we shift into a new paradigm, a paradigm where we work smarter, aligning our businesses with our lifestyle goals, so that we can live our lives exactly as we want and if Lewis Howes can do it, we can all do it.

So a question for you to think about this month – are you working smart to build a business and life you love?

I hope that you enjoy this issue and I hope it inspires you to live a life you love.

Carrie P.S. Never let anyone convince you that you can’t live the life you want to live or achieve the things you want to achieve – you can do it.  Note from Carrie 9

Quote of the

Month

STOP BEATING YOURSELF UP. you are a work in progress

which means you get there

a little at a time, not all at once.

Business development

5 Ways to Make Money Flow to You & Your Business Words by

sarupa shah // the soul agent

ost people love to love and

love to hate money. Love it

when it flows and hate it when it is in short supply and hard to attract. Maybe you are in the camp who feels that a day will

M

12 This Girl Means Business

come when money will no longer be necessary and the world will operate on love and exchange.

Well, I will let you in on a little secret: money is love and it is a means of exchange!

Some facts about money

Money is love manifested into matter. It might look like manmade coins and notes, but everything is energy before it is matter.  Your ability to sustain money is based on your ability to sustain happiness.  Your ability to call in money is based on your own value, which is measured by self-esteem and selfworth  Despite what the media, governments or your bank balance may say money is not in short supply, we live in an abundant universe where abundance is a constant and expanding truth.  A key part of your purpose is to thrive; no matter what you do…you will thrive if you give yourself the permission to do so! 

yet money is still a chocolate teapot for many...

It is difficult to believe in abundance when you can barely make ends meet. You may well believe you are in good company

when you think of the divide between those who are doing well, after all the statistics point to a small percentage owning the largest percentage of wealth. It might even make you believe that it is okay to bash those ‘fat cats’. You may even tell yourself that there is perhaps a virtue in struggle.

{ } “We live in an abundant universe where abundance is a constant and expanding truth.”

How to Make Money Flow to You 13

“Like all things the inner world is always reflected in the outer world.”

But all this is the old paradigm.

These are patterns of a time that you and I are rewriting. If you can feel in your bones, in every cell in your body that there is more and you are here to make a difference and be part of the bigger picture then sorting out your money story is a bit of a no brainer, well it is for me.

Let’s put it another way, if you want to create change on a global platform, meditating alone isn’t going to get you far… money is needed to build wells in Africa, not just for the raw materials and upkeep, but to pay those who build 14 This Girl Means Business

them. Value is to be recognised and rewarded with money, which is after all love materialised into matter.

Having a dream to change the world when you are barely surviving isn’t going to help you reach your potential of magnificence and world change agent. Change your money story… starting now!

1. if you want to change your money story then start with you!

Healing your money patterns always starts with truly understanding your relationship with yourself.

If you don’t feel good about yourself or if you have a sense of unworthiness that you don’t deserve money and you don’t feel good about money then those vibrations will reverberate across the universe and directly influence your ability to manifest.

You can put in place amazing financial planning systems, use vision boards, positive affirmations, mediations or any kind of consciousness raising activity. Sadly, it won’t work unless you have an inner sense of deserving and perception of the value you bring. Like all things the inner world is always reflected in the outer world.

Do at least 3 things daily that make you feel good rather than delaying them to never. Whether it is having a coffee break in your garden through to daily yoga or even treating yourself to a day in the spa, don’t put off what makes you feel good. How you spend your ‘time’ has a direct correlation with your relationship with money… so be abundant with your time for feeling good!

2. STOP THE SWAPPING

The energy of exchanging services with friends on face value can appear to be all about an equal ‘win:win’ situation. It can make you believe you are in business, however the truth and significance is that it is devaluing you, your business, your purpose as much as it is for the ‘other person.’ That is creates a ‘lose:lose’ situation. Ultimately you are both likely to feel you offered the other one more and there is always an imbalance and energetically 99.99% of swaps are born from lack of consciousness.

How to Make Money Flow to You 15

If you carry the ‘I do it for free’ energy broadcast it repels those who are looking to pay for what you offer. Even if you are doing a swap with a friend to build your business and testimonials - let money be exchanged even if that means you have to save to pay. If it is worth it to you, you will and it will be a greater exchange of energy for all concerned!

{ } “If you carry the ‘I do it for free’ energy broadcast it repels those who are looking to pay for what you offer.”

16 This Girl Means Business

This is not the same as volunteering or internships, because the energy of learning and growing and contributing for greater good, including your own, is very different to the energy where you keep busy swapping services for free. Remember business is not like borrowing your best friend’s handbag!

3. RIP IT UP

Write a list of ‘why I don’t think I deserve money’ and be really honest, without being self-indulgent.

Keep writing until you’re done.

Don’t censor yourself – let it all out and do it quickly. When you’ve finished – rip your piece of paper into tiny shreds and dispose of it.

You don’t need it anymore. None

of it is true! This is a really powerful way of releasing those thoughts, patterns and fears that you hold onto and are afraid of voicing. The first place to start is acceptance of the current here and now and then you can work on what you wish to create, which in this instance is money abundance. Avoiding what needs to be resolved just makes it hang around and impede your money flow!

4. stick it to yourself!

Putting out a call for money is great, but if you aren’t clear on ‘why’ it becomes harder to stay aligned with

the energy of why you are calling it in. That is not to say that every last penny has to be accounted for, but simply saying ‘I want, I want, I want’ is not the best way to manifest.

{ } “The first place to start is acceptance of the current here and now and then you can work on what you wish to create.”

A word to the wise

It is OK to say “I want money to feel wealthy.” Don’t get sucked into the trap that you want to call in money and then give it all away, as that isn’t valuing you!

How to Make Money Flow to You 17

I have seen it countless times when people say YES to growth and go for it then money comes, but as soon as they say YES with a caveat of ‘I want proof first’ then it rarely comes with ease. Get clear on WHY and WHAT and let the universe give you the HOW! Be careful that you don’t get controlling or obsessive; the Universe is here to guide you on how it’s going to happen.

{ } “Be careful that you don’t get controlling or obsessive; the Universe is here to guide you on how it’s going to happen.”

18 This Girl Means Business

5. mindful for money

Affirmations are powerful magic wands for creation, but they are impacted by what I call ‘silent affirmations.’ Silent affirmations affirm the opposite of what you desire, so even if you are saying a positive affirmation, if deep down you are thinking the opposite then that is what you are attracting to you.

The reason the influence of affirmations is often untapped is because most people don’t

persevere with affirmations Doing them for a day or two only when the rest of the time you tell yourself you aren’t good enough just isn’t going to change how money flows to you and your business.

As you create and use affirmations you start to become aware of the negative statements and actions that pop up as reactions.

Start to be conscious in changing those thoughts or feelings.

Here is an aff irmation you can use right away and it is my personal favourite:

5 ways for you to change your money story…

With these 5 ways you can start to change your money story and raise your money consciousness.

It is your time to thrive and to really live in abundance. My advice is don’t stop believing and finding ways to make money flow to you and your business. I know you deserve it and it’s time for you to know that too.  >> Download more money affirmations here.

Affirmation

“Money flows to me easily!”

How to Make Money Flow to You 19

20 This Girl Means Business

How She Did It Interview by:

NAME: Alexandra

Watson occupation: Happiness & Success Coach for Women LOCATION: United Kingdom

lexandra Watson is the

UK’s leading happiness and success coach for women. She’s a best-selling author, she’s been a mentor on the X Factor and hosts the largest event in the UK for women in business! So we caught up with Alexandra to find out how she did it…

A

WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO START A COACHING BUSINESS?

I was in marketing at first. I eventually started my own mar-

carrie green

keting and PR business, which was – on paper - very successful, but I didn’t feel very successful inside. I was totally unfulfilled and confused, because I had worked so hard to get to this place and yet I couldn’t help asking myself…’is this all there is?’

So after many months of thinking, panicking, re-thinking and driving everyone crazy with my inner agony, someone at last helped switch the light bulb on for me by suggesting I become a Life Coach. Now this was back in the day, over 16 years ago and back then not many people knew what a Life Coach was, including me! I looked into it and immediately felt that I was onto something special.

How She Did It: Alexandra Watson 21

“There is no time on this planet to play small, no time whatsoever.”

From there I grew my business and wrote my best-selling book, ‘The Happiness System for Women’ which is just about to be re-launched in its second edition.

The book opened up many doors for me including the one that lead to Simon Cowell’s dressing room!

I was asked to coach the finalists on the X Factor, including Leona Lewis.

Then the next stage of my business started, which was the realistion that my passion is with helping women who run their own businesses become confident and successful. So now I bring together all my skills in marketing, business strategy and personal development and help women ‘shine’ from 22 This Girl Means Business

within and this is what I intend to do now for the rest of my life! how did you take it from an idea to a reality, what were the first steps?

I believe very strongly in the truth that if you don’t ask you don’t get. I started my coaching business by approaching my marketing clients and asked them who wanted to be coached - within a week I had twelve coachees. You have to be bold and believe in yourself.

There is no time on this planet to play small, no time whatsoever. what was the process you went

through

in

order

to get everything up and running?

I read every happiness book, self help book and personal development tomb that I could get my hands on! I’ve practically read them all. It’s not so much research, it’s the decision to be a student for life and I wanted to become very knowledgably very quickly (I love speed!) plus I wanted to get a solid grounding for my book too and create something no one had ever done before, which is step by step guide to happiness. I didn’t research the market because coaching was new in the UK back then and so instead I had to educate people about coaching… nowadays everyone knows what a coach is.

what were the key things you had to get set up?

Social media didn’t exist when I started out and there wasn’t much of an internet to speak of then either!! I was quite old school back then and did the website, the

business cards and the book! I wouldn’t recommend that route to any start up today though! how long did it take you to go from just an idea to a business?

One week – I jumped straight into it and never looked back.

I didn’t wait to have everything set up, I just qualified as a coach and went for it. Things take as long as you let them and I don’t like things taking a long time!

Why wait?

{ } “Things take as long as you let them and I don’t like things taking a long time!

Why wait?”

How She Did It: Alexandra Watson 23

once you’d set the business up, how did you raise awareness of it?

I spent a lot of time getting magazine articles, newspaper reviews of my book and getting features written about me. I also got onto Radio a lot and tried to get as much media attention as possible. This suited the direction I wanted to go and it worked for me, because I ended up coaching some very well known people and being seen as an expert in my field, which still lives with me today.

{ } “I wanted the biggest impact in the shortest time possible and so the media was the best strategy at that time.”

24 This Girl Means Business

I wanted the biggest impact in the shortest time possible and so the media was the best strategy at that time. If I had to start over again I would use social media instead. Overall it took six months to become a well-known name in the industry and among my peers. you’ve become one of the uk’s leading happiness and success coaches, how have you done it?

I have this notion inside of me that drives me to play big, to be the best I can and be confident about who I am and what I do to help others. I’ve had great results working with everyone and so that helps, but also I think you have to see yourself in that place first and then others tend to follow you. I hope you understand this when I say it, but I am the best at what I do because I make sure I am, plus I tend to inherit clients from those who aren’t!

you’ve been a mentor of the x factor and you’re often asked to go on radio and tv shows as an expert guest - how did this come about? what advice could you share for others who are wanting to position themselves as an expert and get media exposure?

My book did that job for me. It opened doors for me, because when you write a book (a good one!) then you’re seen as an expert and your credibility increases dramatically. Yet I had to be confident too and be able to articulate myself well enough for people to ‘get’ what I do and see

How She Did It: Alexandra Watson 25

the benefit in having me around.

I’ve worked hard to be a good interviewee and create great content for the media to use. It is an art form and my marketing and PR training certainly helped me there…this is now training I pass onto my clients too so they can get going in a big way. Become

media savvy, know your target media and plan your approach.

Have worthwhile content to draw from that is unique to you.

Be yourself and know your stuff because you don’t want to get caught out on air!

a lot of people who go into coaching

have

difficulty

charging what they’re worth. why do you think this is and what advice would you give to those people?

I love the coaches out there because they want to help everyone and save the world, and are prepared to go bankrupt doing it! I’ve coached so many coaches out of believing that they have to give away what they do for next to nothing. It’s ironic that the profession that helps people become confident and empowered

“When you write a book (a good one!) then you’re seen as an expert and your credibility increases dramatically.”

26 This Girl Means Business

actually lacks that within itself !

I think coaches find it hard to see the worth in themselves and what they do and that leads to low coaching fees and misery all around. One of the elements I teach is to create an authentic fee structure based on a positive mindset that is fuelled by deep-set confidence. My advice would be to understand first and foremost what changes and improvements you help create in someone’s life, focus on the transformation and above all, never, ever charge by the hour…it’ll kill your business and burn you out. what do you think the key to building a successful business is?

I think it’s a three way process; first you need to believe in yourself and have confidence and a positive mindset, next you need to have clarity about what you’re

doing and third, how. So that means great business structure and systems in place for every aspect of your business including marketing and sales. The one thing you must understand and keep in the forefront of your mind is that if you don’t make sales, you don’t HAVE a business.

{

}

“If you don’t make sales, you don’t have a business.”

If you don’t have the clarity and structure then you’re prone to procrastination, being unproductive and wasting time with activities that don’t create an income for you. I teach women how to invest at least 80% of their time into activities that directly create income, then automate, delegate or delete that other 20%.

How She Did It: Alexandra Watson 27

“If you knew you could not fail, what would you do?”

28 This Girl Means Business

what is your favourite quote?

It’s actually a question, this changed my life and I LOVE it…‘If you knew you could not fail, what would you do?’ For some reason this gives me goose bumps and it certainly keeps me on top of things, because it opens up possibility and keeps me thinking BIG!

have you read an amazing business book that you can recommend?

The best business book out there is The E-Myth by Michael Gerber – a classic.

what do you love most about running your business?

I get to focus everyday on helping women build strong businesses. I love working with these dynamic amazing people - it’s incredibly fulfilling

and satisfying to see their progress and be a part of their journey. what do you find is the hardest

about

running

your own business?

Knowing what to do and when. There are so many choices and so many distractions that it seem there are endless pitfalls and traps if you don’t have clarity and a strong guide. That’s why having a mentor is so important… it’s like hav-ing an assistant, essential if you want to grow, even though it costs money.

For me my biggest challenge is slowing down. I would work 24/7 if I could, but I do have a family and so they do need me to be present too. I’d love to put myself in a Xerox machine and have at least two of me!

How She Did It: Alexandra Watson 29

you have an annual event

you

for women called time to

‘diamond businesses’ which

shine, which is one of the

stand out and shine, so

largest events for women

what

in the uk, which is all about

for

helping people to shine in

business?

business. what do people

need to do in order to shine in business?

You need a business that actually grows consistently. But many women entrepreneurs experience this ‘feast or famine’ in their business, which makes it impossible for them to move out of the foundation stage into expansion. When you’ve cracked the code to getting more business than you can handle, standing out from the crowd and feeling you’re future is secure, then you shine!

>> CLICK HERE to find out more about Alexandra Watson’s Time to Shine event!

30 This Girl Means Business

help

are

people

your

building

a

create

top

tips

diamond

First of all you’ve got to be prepared to make a real commitment to a business for it to shine. This cannot be a semi effort; you’ve got to be all-in and passionate about succeeding.

You’ve got to WANT to succeed and realise that mediocre just won’t do and that you’re ready to do what it takes. Then what follows is simple. I break it all down into steps, because I know from experience what needs business owners have and how these needs change over time.

So once you know where you’re heading, because you have the blueprint, then it’s just a case of getting it done.

Alexandra’s Top Tips for Building a Diamond Business

You need to have a

target audience – no one can serve everyone, it doesn’t work.

1.

2.

You need systems for each

aspect of your business, especially a rinse and repeat way of getting more business.

3.

You need to be confident

of your abilities and value yourself to charge what you’re worth and know HOW to get it.

4.

You need to have a game plan so that you know

where your business will be in six months, one year and eighteen months time.

5.

You need a mentor – this

clears the way and speeds up and quadruples your success, so worth the investment it’s not funny!

6.

Be bold and play big, or go home.

7.

Do things the feminine

way, be authentic and stand in your true power. 

How She Did It: Alexandra Watson 31

this girl loves...

1

2

32 This Girl Means Business

3

Get the Look!

By Samantha Green

4 1. Skirt from Dorothy Perkins / 2. top from J.Crew

/

3. handbag from

Mulberry / 4. heels from Tory Burch

This Girl Loves... 33

We asked...

What has been the best thing you’ve ever done that’s helped you to raise more awareness of

your business?

34 This Girl Means Business

You said... “ Once I figured out my niche I... 1) made a list of power partners - other services providers who share the same client base, but provide complimentary services and I networked with them and still do. 2) Use video to showcase my services. 3) Use client testimonials to provide social proof.” - hELEN HODGSON // SERVE THE GODDESS

“‘A picture tells a thousand words.’ Photographing my work and uploading to social media Facebook and twitter. Simple and straight to the point - show people what you can do.” - MARIA

CONNEELY

//

PLATINUM

HAIR

DRESSING

“ Make marketing part of your daily business. Make it your habit. If you’re sitting drinking a cup of coffee, go and find a business directory to list on. Make sure your listings are up to date. Do regular blogging. Create a platform where people can engage with you. Also recognise each thing for its own worth. Facebook, blogs, Twitter and websites all have their own specific functions.” - gaynor paynter //

typewrite transcription and typing services cc

We Asked, You Said 35

we asked, you said...

“Working on me - this can be difficult as a business owner, but I have found that going for walks, reading, meditating, exercise and time with friends does wonders. The more positive energy I have to give, the more I seem to attract new clients (and the more I want to network). Also, ‘working on me’ includes volunteering, which is a great way to meet new people.” - HEATHER ROCK

“My favorite piece of advice is the trusty golden rule we all learned as little girls: ‘Do unto others...’.

When networking don’t lead with YOU first. Find out what you can do for THEM (and surprise them by actually doing it). This is the key to creating and maintaining positive relationships. Your good intentions will always comes back to you ten fold.” star mckenzie // papercut marketing

“It’s simple - look after your customers! Listen to them, value them, know who they are and give them what they need and make sure you hang onto them, you work twice as hard to get a new customer than to keep an existing one! Without customers you don’t have a business, it’s a no-brainer! You can have the best product in the world, but without customers you won’t get off the ground.” - nikky hall // polkadoodles

36 This Girl Means Business

“Getting on the phone. Last year I talked to a 100 people for FREE. I was new to business and was trying to figure out how I could best serve people. It seems like a lot, but I can’t tell you how helpful it was for me to hear (in their own words) the true problems of my clients and how I could best help them. I grew my community and increased my sales because 100 people have a personal connection with me and my brand.

Win! Win!” - shenee howard // heyshenee.com “Everybody loves Free Food! My Daughter and I posted up outside of a busy mall and handed out flyers and small goody bags with our famous cheesecake brownies. People were instantly hooked and started sending people our way! Best decision I ever made for my catering business.” - jennifer burnett

// jbistro style catering

“We volunteered our services to a few groups and they were delighted and passed on our information to other companies/businesses/individuals - it really does pay to give a little sometimes.” - ann-louise // pixelcrush ltd.

We Asked, You Said 37

COVER STORY

an interview with

Lewis Howes f you thought it was n’t possible to have

it all – a multimillion dollar company, that operates entirely online and generates recurring revenue, so you can work from wherever you like, take time to do the things you love to do, travel, dance, spend more time with people you love, then think again. Lewis Howes is the man who proves that it is possible and you don’t need a ton of money to get started or be some technical whizz… so what do you need? We

I

interviewed Lewis to find out...

By:

carrie green

you went from being a professional american football player to an entrepreneur with a multimillion

dollar

business,

and you did it all from scratch on a shoestring budget — how did it all come about?

I broke my wrist during a football game. My only dream growing up was to get paid to play sports, and when the injury forced me to retire, I was pretty devastated.

I spent the next six months recovering from a surgery while sleeping on my sisters couch, and nearly a year and a half trying to figure out what my next move was going to be while getting support

Interview with Lewis Howes 39

COVER STORY

from my family for food and housing. I was growing in debt and living off credit cards the entire time,wondering how I was going to support myself and live on my own.

I started hustling to connect with professionals and successful individuals, reaching out to mentors and coaches for advice 40 This Girl Means Business

and guidance on what I could do to translate the skills I did have from sports, into making a living. linkedin

was

effectively

the launch pad for your businesses — what were the key things you did to get you started?

I made mistakes. A lot of them. I had no clue what I was doing. I was just an injured football bum without any work experience trying to connect with business owners and a massive network of professionals.

I started connecting with other sports professionals at first, while learning the ins and outs of leveraging LinkedIn. I was spending about 6 hours per day on the site (as time was on my side and pretty abundant to me while laying on a couch all day).

The more people I connected with and enhanced my profile, people started to take notice and ask for advice on how they could get more out of LinkedIn as well.

do

you

think

businesses

that

can

benefit

from using linkedin?

Yes!

all

what are your top tips for really leveraging the power of linkedin?

1. Optimize your profile.

Nothing else really matters unless this is clean, fresh, and makes you look like the best version of yourself.

2. Connect with everyone.

A lot of people think you should only connect with your close friends, but you already know about all of the opportunities out there from your close network.

Start meeting new people and connect with everyone as you never know when they will be a customer, or can promote you to someone in their network.

3. Create a group. You want to build an audience of like-minded people or the audience of your target market and start providing them with helpful resources.

Creating a group allows you to email them all once per week and drive more traffic back to your site.

Interview with Lewis Howes 41

COVER STORY

your has

company a

series

of

educational to

help

generate

now online

products

entrepreneurs more

traffic,

customers and sales — but it all started with your first

I modeled the success of others creating online courses and since no one else had done one on LinkedIn (but everyone was writing about it) I knew it would be a big hit.

product, linkedinfluence. how did you get started

a lot of people today think

creating the product?

they need to be a technical

I was doing a lot of one-onone training at first, and I needed a way to scale the information I knew, so that everyone could access it.

whizz and an expert at

{ } “It’s not about figuring everything out, but doing what you do best and bringing others on who can compliment you.”

42 This Girl Means Business

social media in order to build a successful business — how have you overcome this? did you do everything yourself or did you build a team?

I’m not one of those people at all, but I found people who were to partner with and hire.

Without the help of others it would have taken me much longer to figure it all out. It’s not about figuring everything out, but doing what you do best and bringing others on who can compliment you.

within a few short years you’ve built a business that generates over a million dollars in revenue every year

—

what

have

you

found to be the best way to raise awareness of your products

and

generate

more sales?

Webinars.

Hands down.

If you aren’t doing webinars then you are missing out on a powerful way to generate leads and sales. Period.

“I had to hustle my way for a few years to build something that lets me live the exact way I want now. It was totally worth it.” spend a lot of time doing other things you love. was it always your intention to build your business like

a lot of people think that

this?

building a business will

Yes. I got a taste of a lifestyle that was pretty amazing playing professional football and I knew I could never change that. The problem was, I didn’t have any money in the beginning so I had to hustle my way for a few years to build something that lets me live the exact way I want now. It was totally worth it.

take up all of your time and energy until the point that you sell it, but you seem to prove that this isn’t the case. You have created a real lifestyle business — it’s all online, you earn money without having to work every day, which means you get to

Interview with Lewis Howes 43

COVER STORY

what would your advice be to others looking to create similar business models?

Have a goal.

Find a mentor or hire a coach who you admire and trust. Take massive action and tweak along the way.

Webinars, guest posting, podcasting, and creating quality videos on YouTube.

to go from having your dream

of

becoming

an

american footballer torn apart,

effectively

losing

what marketing is working

your career, and sleeping

best for you right now?

on

44 This Girl Means Business

your

sister’s

couch

to building a successful business must have taken a lot of mental strength. how key do you think your mindset has been to your success?

It’s been everything. All I learned in sports is what I’ve translated into the business world. Without that foundation I wouldn’t be where I am today.

The right attitude and mindset is crucial to being successful in anything, not just business.

to who you are. Provide consistent content and resources that help people in your industry and your platform will continue to grow consistently.

You also want to connect with media as much as possible in person. People trust media and the more you are on it, the better. if you could go back to the

beginning

of

your

entrepreneurial journey, would

you

do

anything

differently? you’ve

built

such

a

strong online presence/ community and brand — what tips can you share

No. The journey is a beautiful thing, and everything happens at the right time for a reason.

on building a successful brand and community that

what

people love and trust?

social network for busi-

I think you have to put out there what feels good to you and position yourself to “look” and “feel” different than others in your industry, all while being authentic

ness right now and why?

is

your

favourite

Right now it’s Instagram. It’s simple, quick, and easy to connect with my friends and followers through images.

Interview with Lewis Howes 45

COVER STORY

the biggest lesson i ever

believing in yourself is your greatest asset.

If you don’t fully believe you can achieve the goals you want... I guarantee you won’t achieve them.

learned is...

when

i

face

a

big

remove the fears and doubts first, as those things will only hold you back from achieving greatness.

Then I talk with people I trust for advice, and take action.

challenge i...

i

love

building

my

it allows me to live the exact lifestyle I want to live and I get to help people along the way.

business

because...

salsa dance, do CrossFit, play guitar, play team handball, and travel.

in my spare time i...

my favourite quote is...

“Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.” my favourite book is...

if i could go back in

The Alchemist

time to when i was 20, i

my top piece of advice

not to worry to or stress to much when things go wrong, there’s always a way to get out of it.

to entrepreneurs is...

would tell myself...

46 This Girl Means Business

No one is going to hand you anything, you have to go get it yourself. 

Masterclass Learn how to get more leads, more traffic and more sales from LinkedIn in this LinkedIn training session with Lewis Howes

Watch it here for FREE

What we’re reading

s s e n i p p a H e Th e ag t n a v d A Book Review by

Michelle Rohr // Secret OWL Society

oing after a goal does not

have to be a long, tedious,

unhappy process. In fact, you’ll end up losing out with that approach.

I just finished a book called

G

The Happiness Advantage

by Shawn Achor and the main

impression that it made upon me was that it pays to be happy! It pays to be calm. It pays to relax and enjoy the process.

Many of us almost cling to our self-constructed anxieties as if they are some kind of sad requisite in the 48 This Girl Means Business

goal achieving process. It’s as if we have this little voice in our heads telling us, “You can’t really be happy now; you’re not there yet!” The Happiness Advantage taught me that if I could let go of this nagging little voice and practice the art of being happy in the journey toward my goals, then my brain could reprogram itself in an effective and positive way that would support me, whereas my stress and petty anxieties only hindered me. You see, your brain literally rewires itself to support your better choices when

{

“It’s as if we have this little voice in our heads telling us, “You can’t really be happy now; you’re not there yet!”

you’re happy…and it cements old, negative patterns when you’re not.

Shawn Achor leads us to understand that pretty much since birth, many of us have been conditioned to believe that success is the key to happiness.

We’ve been operating in the mindset that if we do x, y, and z, then we’ll be successful, and then (finally) we’ll be happy. Through many interesting and refreshing examples, Shawn helps the reader shed this misguided belief and enter into a complete paradigm shift: happiness, he shows us, is the key to success! Not the other way around.

This new way of looking at my own personal journey to success compelled me to examine my attitude more closely and what I

}

found was that while I was practicing being positive, I was not necessarily practicing being happy.

>> CLICK THE COVER TO GET YOUR COPY!

What We’re Reading 49

“We’ve been operating in the mindset that if we do x, y, and z, then we’ll be successful, and then (finally) we’ll be happy.”

In other words, I was doing all the things necessary to be productive and make progress toward achieving my goals (reading the books, listening to the audios, doing the actions, working on my habits), but my attitude was one of “I have to do this.” I came to realize (much to 50 This Girl Means Business

my joy) that the happiness approach takes on an attitude of “I get to do this!”

Think of a person who is trying to lose weight. If she approaches the process as unpleasant work, then she keeps herself from learning how to enjoy it. Of course, if she sticks to it, she will lose the weight. She will reach her goal. But then what? She may have changed externally, but she never did the mental reprogramming needed to become a new person on the inside. Internally, she’s still the kind of person who feels that eating healthy and exercising is a chore.

Instead of embracing the process of becoming healthy as a new, wonderful way of life, she chooses to experience it as temporary thing.

Thus, a few months later, she’s back where she started. What if instead of thinking, “I have to eat healthy and exercise,” she instead thought, “I get to eat healthy and exercise!”? The result would have very likely been that she would have never have stopped in her progress.

{

}

“Shawn helps the reader shed this misguided belief and enter into a complete paradigm shift: happiness, he shows us, is the key to success! Not the other way around.”

She would have maintained her success because the very process made her happy, whereas the other approach only drained her will power and offered her an experience of success that was not valid and authentic and therefore it could not last.

The moral of the story is that if you want to have the advantage, then it’s not enough to just put in the work, it’s not enough to just check off your To Do list at the end of the day, it’s not enough to be good at time management. Happy people have the advantage. Happy people are experiencing the internal changes needed to create and

sustain external achievement. So the next time you hear the well-worn advice of “Enjoy the journey - the journey is everything,” don’t brush it off as an old cliché. Take the art of happiness seriously. Your success hangs in the balance. 

>> To get your own

copy of Shawn Achor’s The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles that Fuel Success and Performance at Work CLICK HERE.

What We’re Reading 51

Ask & Answered Q.

I have just launched my business, The Indian Art Centre, an online gallery specialised in Indian Art. My question is how can I get more followers and customers from Twitter? — Lucie Marchelot

52 This Girl Means Business

A.

I think this is a question on a lot of people’s minds! There are so many social media platforms nowadays that we’re told we must start using to help us to grow our businesses, and clearly they can be very effective, but how do you get the most out of them?

How do you make sure your time is spent productively on Twitter so that you’re actually using it as a tool to develop your business, not just as a tool to waste time gossiping? Alicia Cowan creator of Twitter Brilliance shares her top tips on how to actually get more customers from Twitter...

Alicia Cowan of

Twitter Brilliance

A big mistake small bus iness owners make when using Twitter is thinking it’s just for selling. It’s not.

It’s the perfect place to find prospects and others who can help you grow your business, such as key contacts with large communities of their own, potential partners to team up with, and journalists or other media who can expose you to a larger audience. But, it’s unlikely for a sales transaction to actually

Answers:

“

{ } “A big mistake small business owners make when using Twitter is thinking it’s just for selling.

It’s not.”

take place from a single tweet. That needs to happen elsewhere like a website, phone call or a meeting, and it’s your mission to guide them in that direction.

Ask & Answered 53

So how do you make the most of Twitter to find prospects that can lead to a sale? Here are 7 fundamental tips to get you started:

Include:

A profile picture. Ideally a photo of the account holder - Twitter is all about connecting with other people. 

A well put together bio that’s fun, explains who you are and what people can expect from your tweets.



A link to your website (or if you haven’t got one yet, another web space like your Facebook page or LinkedIn profile). 

The CRUCIAL human element.

This deserves a whole article of its own, it’s that important. We want to know who we’re tweeting with are you a real person or a 2-headed alien?? Add a photo, your name as the account holder or in your bio.

It makes ALL the difference to the small business Twitter profile, I promise.



1. Work from the ground up

Let’s start with the foundations and get these right first...

A tweet grabs attention, but your profile is going to make the difference between getting a follow, or not. Plus as it’s a representation of your business you want to cultivate your spot in the Twittersphere to make people think ‘Tell me more!’

54 This Girl Means Business

Follow/Follower ratio - keep your following count below the amount of followers you have and avoid being labelled a desperado (when we know you’re really not).



“We want to know who we’re tweeting with - are you a real person or a 2-headed alien?”

Now that’s done, let’s move on to the actual tweeting to find more followers and customers.

Listorious - the Twitter list

2. Find strategic connections

3. Entertain and educate your fellow tweeters

It’s not enough to tweet into the Twittersphere and hope that it will be seen by your ideal connections. You need to take proactive action too.

Embrace your inner spy and do some research on your competitors, influencers in your market, dream clients, ideal partners and media contacts. Check out who they are tweeting with. Looking at their followers and who they’re following may also drum up some interesting connections. Check out

search engine, it’s a goldmine of Twitter users in specific sectors.

When you hear people talking about ‘providing value’ on Twitter, this is what they mean. Your tweets should always educate or entertain whoever you’re trying to attract, and when they do both you’ve hit the sweet spot.

So every time you tweet, check your deepest intent and ask yourself: is this tweet entertaining? Will this tweet educate my followers?

A warning here, generally you want to keep ‘on message’ and tweet Ask & Answered 55

{ } “Check your deepest intent and ask yourself: is this tweet entertaining?”

messages that your followers expect to receive from you, but Twitter is a social network so there are brilliant opportunities to reveal a little more about your values, ideals and interests. Always remember the human element.

4. Focus on outreach general and targeted

Once you’ve found your strategic connections, you want to pay attention to them, as well as building your own audience organically.

There are two streams of focus here:

General: Posting tweets of int56 This Girl Means Business

erest for your wider audience. These attract more eyes, and providing they entertain or educate, will position you as a go-to person to know.

Targeted: Reaching out to specific tweeters who can help you inyour business. Whether that’s prospects, current clients, key contacts with large communities, potential partners or media.

Applying these streams will help you get retweets and mentions, and that means you’ll grab the attention of more people and generate buzz around your offerings.

5. Be helpful, friendly and generous

We all want to do business with people we like, know and trust and Twitter is the perfect place to nurture valuable business connections by showing how helpful, friendly and generous you are.

Do this by:

Replying to your mentions and replies (your Connections tab is 

where you should be spending most of your Twitter time).

Thanking others when they do something nice for you. 

Recommending other tweeters you respect and value.



Taking part - retweeting and replying to others’ general tweets.



Sharing entertaining and educational information in the form of links, images, tips, quotes, videos, and other tweets (see point no. 3 above).



Connecting tweeters who can help each other. 

Pay special notice to the strategic connections you found in step 2.

6. Don’t be shy, say hi!

One of the greatest things about Twitter is that it’s super sociable. You can tweet with anyone - you don’t need an invitation to do so. To begin with, this can feel a little strange but once you realise we’re mostly a friendly bunch and using Twitter to share experiences, knowledge and

meet other like-minds you’ll feel right at home. So don’t be shy, say ‘hi!’ and join in!

7. Post regularly

Every Tweet sent is listed in chronological order and with millions of tweets being sent each day your amazing tweet can be very easily missed. What’s more, people drop in and out all day for just a few minutes to catch up. So, to make an impact, especially when starting out, you want to post multiple times a day, throughout the day, every day.

Yes - that’s right! Everyday.

That doesn’t mean I advocate spending all day there, in fact, the complete opposite. You can make an impact on Twitter in just a few minutes, and being a small start up business, that’s probably all the spare time you have, right?

Keep your presence consistent using one of a multitude of Twitter tools to schedule and drip feed your tweets for you throughout the day.

One of my faves is Buffer.  Ask & Answered 57

sales series

7 Steps to Overcoming Obstacles & Rejections So You Can Close the Sale Words by

lara morgan // company shortcuts

ales is a numbers and effort game. You will

undoubtedly reap rewards for the more effort you put in, but factually the more skilled you are as a professional sales person, the higher your chances are of overcoming rejections and objections and closing the sale faster, leading to more profitable days ahead.

So here are some strategies

S

and tips to help you become more skilled at handling rejection and actually closing the sale‌ 58 This Girl Means Business

how to handle rejection and objections

Do NOT take rejection personally; it adds no value to look back, other than to learn from what you might have done better. Indeed this is a trait I have found in many entrepreneurs. The fact is that some people simply do not think they need or may not actually need your product at the time you are proposing it.

Best salve to rejection – make the next positive call and bounce back fast. NEVER, ever dwell on

the negative – it does nothing but damage. Over and over again I hear women say they cannot sell…duhhh…if you say you cannot sell you most certainly will achieve the success of not being able to. I was brought up with the belief that, “there is no such word as can’t.”

Persistence, preparation and following the tips below will lead you to more success in closing orders and overcoming objections. Let’s start with the

basics…

WHEN DO OBJECTIONS COME?

Frankly, they should come throughout a sales process if you are allowing your potential customer to engage, offering open-ended questions and working to win an order. You should look for objections and reasons why someone is not buying; only then can you close.

OBJECTIONS at the beginning of the sales process

Sometimes objections come from the outset of a very early sales call, “Just send/fax/email the information and I’ll keep it on file/have a look at it, etc.” Do not accept this response, it is not really what most people mean.

Here a response you can use (and a much better way of making that first appointment.):

“I’ll be happy to get this out to you in the next hour, but while I have you on the phone, let’s first see if this can actually help you / add value to your XYZ / save you money with our XYZ. How are you currently doing (Ask about a process related to your product or service)? And if I could show you how to (Ask about how your benefit would help them), would you seriously be willing to consider using our solution to help you?”

Sales Series 59

OBJECTIONS during sales process

the

During a presentation you may well hear negative responses, possible objections, but these could also be buying signals, where someone is simply sense checking what you have said. Possible comments might include: “We’re already taken care of ” or “We have a solution that does what you are proposing.” “I understand, but _________.”

Here is a good response if you face this situation:

“Isn’t it true that if you could get the same or even better results for less than you’re spending right now, it’d be a missed opportunity not to at least listen to how that might happen? You see, many of the clients I work with now told me the same thing but were happy they found out about our (introductory package, new client

60 This Girl Means Business

special, side by side comparison, etc.)”

When making the objections, always support your data (where possible) with the stories of others’ success. Look for the physical change in a person’s demeanor, showing signs you are winning your battle. Perhaps signs in the voice; a more engaged attitude is a great measure of your reach towards success and the close.

{ } “When making the objections, always support your data (where possible) with the stories of others’ success.”

“A more engaged attitude is a great measure of your reach towards success and the close.”

Often this part of your sales proposal takes place over phone, so more than ever the listening ear is priceless as you look for positive tones, moments of silence and messages for how you are progressing. Great sales people can read the silence and know when not to talk.

Here’s an example of another objection you might face: “We just don’t have the budget/money/etc.”

It’s probably today’s most regular rebuttal… but companies do have budgets and money, it is

really all about who has the best value return on the investment a company makes in services and products to help improve their own proposition. It is simply a matter of priorities as to how they spend that money. I have elected to not take pay rises in exchange for fastest growth, by investing in better people.

I have also invested in tech and systems and products in exchange for greaterefficiencies for sales delivery…if your product can do that – sell it so.

One useful negotiation trick is this: if the customer is Sales Series 61

trying to get you to lower your price and you really can’t go any lower, remain silent for as long as possible. This forces them to speak again and usually makes them realise that this is the lowest the price can go to. If you ever have to lower your price, always get something in return; longer contract days, higher volume in the order, better payment terms, a reference or introduction to another likely customer – all of these are negotiable. anticipate objections

You will know from past experiences the objections you’re likely to get, so practice and be ready with specific answers to show that you can solve the problems. The more you present your product the better you will be at handling objections from the outset.

62 This Girl Means Business

“The more you present your product the better you will be at handling objections from the outset. always acknowledge the listener’s point of view

Understand it and then negotiate how your offering will fit their needs. don’t argue.

You will lose. “Yes, but…” immediately puts you on the defensive. Use language such as “Yes, and…”. offer alternatives

Is there something else you can offer? Perhaps there’s a

different service or another angle to the service, which the client may not have placed a value on?

This is where really knowing the client’s problem, needs and challenges from the factfinding stage will pay dividends.

ASSUME nothing – every client is different. use a trial close

Ask a question that you hope will get you a “yes,” such as “ Is this what you’re looking for?”

If you get an objection, you’ve just uncovered more information that will bring you closer to the sale. go for the sale

Ask for the business! Some people are so afraid of a “No” that they never ask for the “Yes!” Pick up verbal and facial cues, listen for an opening and then jump in. When you get a no often it is

not a flat refusal, but simply an objection you need to deal with.

You may in the end have to take “no” for an answer, but the sooner you get there the sooner you move on and sell to another… push for no and you may well win and get a yes.

Some other hints and tips of dealing with the early brush off…

How do you currently handle the brush off, “Just email me – or send – me your information”?

Believe it or not about 80% of sales teams I speak with actually shoot off an email, schedule a follow up call, put the company in their pipeline and then begin the frustrating process of chasing unqualified leads. If you’re doing this as well, then I don’t have to tell you what it’s like trying to get back to these leads.

Sales Series 63

“Ask a couple of qualifying questions and you’ll be able to see if they would be the right fit for your product or service.”

Here is a much better way: “I’d be happy to email you our information. (Prospect’s name) I have a 64 (very long) page PDF file that I can email you, but do you mind if I ask you just a couple of quick questions so I can only send you that part that you’d be most interested in?”

Or, “I’d be happy to email you our information. (Prospect’s name) I have a variety of

64 This Girl Means Business

brochures / price lists / product catalogues / programs I can email you, but do you mind if I ask you just a couple of quick questions so I can only send you that part/ the specific information / the right price list that you’d be most interested in?”

What I like about this response is that it immediately calls their bluff. If they are just trying to blow you off, then they will not cooperate here and will tell you again to just email your information – which you won’t do. It’s better to set another time for the call for when they do have 5 minutes to discuss this with you.

On the other hand, if they are even slightly interested, then they will allow you to ask a couple of qualifying questions and you’ll be able to see if they would be the right fit for your product or service. Either way, you win.

In Summary... step one

 Get your fact-finding and meeting

preparation planned to make the best opportunity of identifying a need and a problem you can solve for the customer.

Silence and listening are powerful parts of the sales process, as you learn what the customer’s ideal solution is.

You have to ask lots of questions to get to the bottom of the real need. 

Thinking is a good thing where you are adding a little pause into the proceedings, because you are demonstrating that you are taking their objection seriously.



If you jump in too early you may cause a further objection. When you interrupt them, it feels as if you are objecting to their objection. If you refuse to listen you are creating a strong possibility that you will lose rapport. Use active listening methods, nodding and physically showing interest. 

step two — BEFORE you make your cast iron proposal (a recommendation) Check Your Understanding

This lets the customer know that you understand their needs and their business and that you have listened and are keen on finding the right solution. step three — trial close

This takes ‘checking your understanding’ to the next level, because it flushes out any hidden objections, or the real objection behind what may have been a smokescreen. For example, “If I could satisfy you on this point will you order/buy today?”

{ } “Silence and listening are powerful parts of the sales process.”

Sales Series 65

Sometimes people you present to are thinking about what you are saying and matriculating other challenges for their own roles. As a sales person you need to always be aware that the person buying needs to be convinced that they are buying well, often they are reporting their decisions and the risks they take to others higher up. Knowing that decision-making chain and appreciating the position a person is in is vital to the sales close process.

Give your buyer reasonable time to think things through. step four — learn and practice objection handling

A great way to improve your competence in this specific area is by reviewing any objections after each meeting to build an objections library. Some of your responses may be more successful than others, which is why it helps to log the responses that worked well. Good product and service knowledge is particularly useful with this step, as well as having a good understanding 66 This Girl Means Business

of your competitors’ offers.

You should learn to know how to spot likely objections, so that when you are presenting you can cover these with solutions. step five — Throughout the process you should pay attention to the mood of the person you are presenting to

Look for both verbal and nonverbal feedback to the conversation.

If their response is a “No” then you’ll want to be flexible in your next response, because if what you’ve attempted hasn’t worked, you’ll want to keep changing your response until you find a way that DOES satisfy their objection. With this particular step, your flexibility is a vital part of the process. step six — Ask for Order/ Continue Discussions / Find solutions / Understand the next steps to get to a decision

This step ensures you move discussions forward, for example,

“Are you ready to go ahead now?” or “Shall I go ahead and prepare the paperwork?” If your prospect says “No” then you’ve either not handled their objection to their satisfaction or they have another objection.

It’s also a valid point to remember that resistance from a prospect is usually a sign of insufficient rapport. Therefore, check that you are matching or mirroring the prospect and go back to step 6. If they are satisfied with your handling of their objection, then ask “So, what’s preventing you from moving forward with this?”

A direct close, perfected in a clever way like, “Why would you not give

our product a chance?” can lead to a great success.

A note for the ladies: Time and time again ladies do all the work for winning a client’s interest in the service or proposition and then fail to ask for the order soon enough and then some other male bugger gets the close. Don’t let this be you. >> For further advice, guidance and training on sales acceleration, get in touch with Lara Morgan at Companyshortcuts.com and download the FREE templates and check lists to help you on your way.

Some helpful free templates and guides for you:  pricing a new product  contract of sales guidelines  product launch checklist

Sales Series 67

THIS MONTH’S

TOP

10 TIPS 68 This Girl Means Business

Ten Things to Remember ON YOUR JOURNEY

Trust that everything you want to achieve will come to pass.

6.

Take time to think about all the things you are grateful for.

7.

Surrender all of your doubts and worries and know that you deserve good now.

3.

Think about what you could do to serve others more.

8.

Make the most of what you’ve got – don’t let it stop you or hold you back.

4.

The present moment is all that you’ve got, so be happy now and enjoy the journey.

9.

All success is created on the inside, so start believing, acting and living like you are the success you want to be.

5.

Choose to be the best possible version of yourself.

1.

2.

Don’t be afraid to be your true self. The more authentic you are, the more you will resonate and connect with the right people.

10.

“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Top 10 Tips 69

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