People often think I’m just “joyful & happy” all the time.
Actually I had a new owner of a Joyful Business Guide product email me today. She said that years ago I used to irritate her because she thought I was that “happy girl”. She now feels she is open to the real message from source about joy and that I can help her in her journey.
So my real story is NOT that I am so darn happy. (Ok, hubby, stop laughing!) It’s that I always believe in our power to co-create with spirit…I believe we can shift our energy to tap into a greater wisdom, creativity and joy any time we choose.
I know we have the power to shift. (and hopefully we remember to use it!)
Beauty, joy and possibilities opens us up. Then we can shift.
When we shift…anything and all things are possible.
I remember years ago reading an article in Glamour magazine about what men find sexy in a woman. The #1 answer…not body parts…not humor, not how well she cooks…it was “confidence”.
Confidence is sexy…because it’s attractive, engaging, alluring…
To me when you have a joyful business…one where you choose to show up in your joy then you are showing up confident…and it’s very SEXY!
Let’s face it…passion, enthusiasm, and being engaged in life is very attracting. Think about someone you know who lets her joy out…it’s compelling and inspiring, isn’t it? Don’t you want to be around her energy? More so than someone who is not engaged with life and is just going through the motions.
It’s the same for your business. Let your joy out. Let it shine! In your articles, your blog, on Facebook and in your talks! It’s like honey to bees…you’ll attract more readers, more friends and followers and more clients!
One of the greatest tools on the internet is to have a blog
focused on
your business movement – the thing you are most passionate about
in your
business. It’s a great way to establish credibility, visibility
and your
expertise in a particular area.
My clients often get excited about a blog and get it up
and going and then ask, “Now what do I post?”
If you’re still a little stuck, here’s an easy checklist
to keep handy:
Long,
thoughtful, provoking and inspiring articles – every now and
then.
You don’t want to overwhelm your blog followers with three or
four
blog posts a week that span several screen lengths. But once
in a
blue moon – go for it!
Short
thoughtful, provoking, and inspiring articles – get the
difference?
You don’t have to write a novel. Just a paragraph or two.
”How-to’s”
– 3 steps, 5 secrets, 3 tips types of articles. For example,
three
things you need to pack for a day-long hike. Or five
must-haves in
your make-up kit.
Quotes –
yours or others. You can just post the quotation, or you can
explain
why this particular quotation is particularly inspiring to
you.
Resources
– this is where you share your favorite things: books, tools,
other
coaches/consultants/experts.
Quick
stories about something that happened to you that highlights a
perspective you believe in
Poems or
songs about your movement that would be inspiring to your
tribe
Events
you are offering/leading – yes, you can even post sales-type
posts
in your blog. (Which is really handy when you have your blog
linked
to social networks.)
Stories
about your clients – their shifts, aha’s, awarenesses, why
they work
with you, results, profiles. Stories show what you do, much
better
than you just telling what it is you do.
Updates,
feedback, buzz about events you are leading, such as “The top
3
questions I’m getting from women entrepreneurs who are
thinking
about coming to the Business Goddess Retreat”
Stories,
themes or trends you are seeing with your clients. This
article is
an example; all my SpiritRICH™ clients are asking what to
post on a
blog!
Free
checklists - you probably have all kinds of “get started
quick” type
of lists – use these as special blog postings to generate
credibility and expertise
Any
events where you are appearing, being interviewed,
telesummits, and
the like. Let people see what you’re doing!
Photos –
photos – photos! They are inspiring! Of you, your
surroundings, your
clients, people you are with, you and your mentors.
For a robust blog which positions you as an expert in a
certain area you’ll want to aim for 2 -3 postings a week and
you’ll soon
have a bevy of blog postings and your tribe and fans will notice!
Last tip for blog success: I ride the wave of energy and
write several postings when I’m in a particularly reflective
writing
mood, which I can post-date and publish later. This allows you to
write
while you are in the writing mode and then spread your postings
over
several weeks.
Most of all, let out your authentic self – your
readers want to know who you are and what you are about. Writing
in your
authentic voice allows you to really connect with your reader.
Laura West is an
award-winning online entrepreneur
and president of The Center for Joyful Business. If you are ready
to
shift your marketing and mindset for more success with joy and
ease, get
your free report: Business
Attraction Success
6 Ways to Package Your Services, Products and Knowledge So You Make More Money in Less Time
One of the most important intentions in your business, even in
passion-based business like yours, is to make a profit. Yes, you want to make
money while making the world a better place by contributing your magical gifts.
In order to keep contributing and changing the world in your unique way through
helping your clients, you need to also be financially successful. This is part
of the holistic model of success.
The secret is to look at how you can bring your
creativity into your pricing and services so that you make more money and give
more value with out taking so much of your time that it starts to drain your
energy. You want to look for energy-enhancing business models!
I recently had a new Platinum client who was resisting this
idea. She loves her clients and didn’t want to become so expensive for her
clients that she was no longer accessible to them. The thing is she also told
me how she is running all over town delivering her services. An hour there, 45
minutes there and she’s booked up solid. Sounds great until you get inside and
realize that all this running around is taking a toll on her physically – her
energy is way down (which impacts her enthusiasm, confidence and creativity)
and physical symptoms were screaming at her to “pay attention.”
Don’t wait until your body rebels! There are ways of serving a
variety of client needs while serving your need to develop a financially
sustainable and flourishing business – all without depleting yourself
physically, spiritually and energetically.
Here are six ways to create packages for your services,
products, experience and knowledge so that you can joyfully serve more clients
in less time and make more money doing it!
Strategy #1: Offer Options with Your Time
The idea here is to offer three ways a client can work with you
- a small investment option, medium option, and top of the line option. Clients
love choice. If you tell them that you have one price or one package, they will
often not take it because the question becomes “Do you want this service? Yes
or No?” With three options, the clients have a choice. The question becomes
“Which one would you like?” This is a totally different question which will
lead you to more clients. You’ll also be surprised at how many people will take
the top of the line or premium option. This is a great way of stretching into
new pricing options that might have been higher than you were used to charging.
Strategy #2: Package Your Process
Potential clients like to know that you have a process. It
helps them to know what to expect from you so they can get their arms around
the commitment. Most of all, it gives them confidence in you. When you share
that you have a process, they trust that you know what you are doing. Funny
thing is…they don’t really care about what your process is – they really care
about the results for them. They just want to know that you have a system for
what they are going through. For example, you may offer a six-hour package
where you take them through five steps that will change their life or business.
Or you may have a 90-day program or a four-week series. When you package your
process, you will get more and better results from your clients as well. It
creates a win-win. Your clients get more value and better results – and you get
clients with amazing results – which feels great!
Strategy #3: Create Products From Your Process
Have you determined your five-step process? Now is a great time
to put it into a workbook, an e-course or create an audio series. Some people
may want to just buy the product and apply the principles or tools themselves.
You’ll be surprised by how many people will buy the product and still want your
help in taking them through the work. They need the accountability and
partnership for success!
Strategy #4 Create A Membership Program
You attract people to your services who are at different places
in their buying process. Many people want just a taste of what you have to
offer. Maybe they are new business owners and aren’t quite ready to invest in
an entire coaching package with you, or they are just new to your services and
want to experience more before they invest in a full program. Offering a
membership program is a way of creating a community of these similar clients
and giving them a taste of what you offer. You’ve seen examples of free
membership clubs like Starbucks, an Amazon Prime Account, or airline frequent
flyer mileage programs. Then there’s the small fee membership club that for
$24, $47 or $97 a month they can join your membership club and get access to
certain services. For example, you could offer a group teleseminar and then
mail the audio CD and transcript to them each month. It’s a great way to get
them in a relationship with you and usually on ce people experience your magic
– they are going to want to upgrade and they’ll want more from you.
Strategy #5: Offer a Continuity Program
A continuity program is typically a long-term relationship
where clients consistently get to work with you in a variety of ways. It’s
often offered over a year. You can package together products, ebooks, audios,
teleclasses, transcripts, online forums and even in person retreats to create a
program throughout the year. For an example of one of my past continuity
programs, visit http://www.joyfulbusiness.com
Review the program for ideas on how you can design your own program. I’m not
just trying to get you to my information page, (wink) I’m offering up my
program as a model or template for what you could create for your own
continuity program. Remember - don’t copy anyone’s program exactly, and you can
use other programs as a springboard to design your own unique offering.
Strategy #6: Premium Programs or Platinum Style
Programs
Look around you and you’ll start to notice how often the word
“Platinum” shows up to describe an upscale or premium offering. Delta Airlines
and their Platinum program comes to mind for mega flyers. A premium or platinum
style program is ideal when you are ready to scale back your hourly work and
create a premium program (with a premium price tag) for more one-on-one work,
special retreats, or small group coaching. There are some of your clients who
are ready for this type of intense work. The greatest reward is that the type of
clients who come into this program are usually very committed to their success.
Again, it’s creating a win-win program. They get flourish with big results, and
you see the impact of your work! Every time a client commits to this type of
program with me, just the power of this big commitment within themselves
creates a jump in their business, new clients, a big PR opportunity or other
major success.
What ideas has this article sparked in you for your
business? Pay attention to your inspired energy. That’s where you want to
start. Don’t try to do all these ideas at one time. Pick one idea and focus on
it for the next 90 days. Clear, focused energy is powerful creation energy!
Laura West is an award-winning online entrepreneur and president of The Center for Joyful Business. If you are ready to shift your marketing and mindset for more success with joy and ease, get your free report: Business Attraction Success Kit
Actually, I played the I Wonder Game and got in the Sunday AJC on Memorial Day weekend.
The day you posted the video link on your Facebook status (May 5: I remember because Cinco De Mayo is significant in the story), I decided to play the game for the entire day. Every FB status I posted involved, I Wonder…. I had an Incubator Workshop that morning and some meetings in the afternoon and didn’t get home until 6pm or so. Around 7:30pm I realized that it was Cinco de Mayo and that I might like a marguerita and chips, but I didn’t want to go alone. So, I used “I Wonder” and posted to Facebook: I wonder what exciting adventure might be had if I went out for Cinco de Mayo alone?
As soon as I posted it I saw that one of my friends was hanging out at a restaurant not too far from me, so I asked to join her. As it turns out, she works in PR and knew about a PR opportunity regarding women and our relationships with our bathing suit. I know her through LWL, and she had heard me tell the story about my decision last summer to buy a two-piece bathing suit, wear it to my community pool party, and post a picture of self in said suit on my website. She suggested that I submit the story. Because I was in the “I Wonder” mode, I submitted the story. Not only did the reporter interview me, she asked to print my bikini pic in the paper. (The online version of the article doesn’t have the picture, but you can get a link to the article on my blog and see the picture here: http://curvylife.com/2009/05/24/facing-down-the-bikini/ ) This is my first, real piece of media coverage on my blog, so it’s very exciting.
And it all started with the I Wonder Game. I shared this story at the last LINC Up!, and had everyone play the game for the duration of the event.
I am super excited to share with you a special live workshop "Discover Your Unique Presence(TM)?" by Laurie Mandato! Laurie is one of my Magic & Miracles Platinum clients and she is becoming well known fast!
Because I get requests all the time about image consultants from my clients and colleagues, I asked Laurie to come to Atlanta. Laurie designed this speciaI workshop specifically for women who want to step into the spotlight with confidence and style.
Here's what she will be covering ...
Discover your personal essence and how to use it to dress with confidence and style.
Start dressing with intention and watch your client list AND your bank account grow!
Discover how to use color to empower yourself and impact your audience.
Start achieving your personal and professional goals.
Start getting noticed and learn how to stand out in a crowd.
Increase your confidence and motivation.
You can get all the details at www.LaurieMandato.com! Make sure to reserve your early bird spot with special pricing only until July 31st. Or grab your special 1/2-Day Personal Consultation here and you can attend the 1-Day workshop FREE!
"Step Into The Spotlight" 5-part Teleseries by Laurie Mandato
I want to introduce you to one of my Magic & Miracles Platinum clients, Laurie Mandato, of Imaging Joy. She has been experiencing amazing growth and opportunities in her business this year.
The reason I wanted to tell you more about Laurie is that she is an image and style consultant for “Spotlighters” – that’s what I call those of us who have a mission in our business which includes getting in front of the spotlight to speak and be seen.
It’s one thing to finally have crafted your message, you’ve got this great opportunity to speak in front of your most ideal amazing potential clients…you’re feeling great about what you are up and then you start thinking about what you’re going to wear…
All that powerful inner work you’ve done and outer marketing work….comes falling down as you wonder….what really looks good on me…what’s appropriate for my audience and feels authentic? This is where Laurie comes in. She understands this journey and in fact has put together a 5 part Teleseries specially for you, as someone in the spotlight.
DETAILS:
Register now for the "Step Into The Spotlight" 5-part Teleseries by MIDNIGHT TONIGHT, May 22, and you'll receive a free *signed* copy of Fashion Feng Shui®: The Power of Dressing with Intention by Evana Maggiore (a $24.95 value).
Laura Howard West is a certified professional coach, writer, speaker and the President and Chief Creative Officer of The Center for Joyful Business. She is the creator of The Joyful Business Guide™, a business attraction system blending law of attraction principles with smart business designed for solo-entrepreneurs and business owners.
Your Unique Presence(TM)?" by 
I want to introduce you to one of my Magic & Miracles Platinum clients, 
