Dear Helen,

I’m so frustrated! Do you have a good way to invite people to move forward with our work? I seem to be attracting new clients who say yes but then don’t follow through with payment so we can get started.

I know I’ve got to be calm and call them but… is there a better way to handle things so I won’t have to keep doing this in the future? I don’t want my money issues (or theirs!) to impact things, and they are.

-Frustrated and Freaking Out

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Dear Frustrated,

Pausing and breathing is always good. =-) So, first, get yourself centered mentally before you pick up the phone. Next, in words that are authentic for you say why you’re looking forward to working with them. (Always start with the positive.) Then explain you want to be able to give her (or him) the full time and attention she deserves and you’d like to schedule her intake session (or whatever is the next step) in the next week, so they can be sure to get their spot on your calendar. Then say you’d be happy to take their credit card information right then so the two of you can get started.

You’re very perceptive to note that it’s possible not only their money issues, but your own, might be impacting the situation. The thing to get really grounded in is knowing the value of what you’re giving her, so you don’t come across as needy or “less than” in this conversation. This is a business transaction; no need to let personal beliefs get in the way (especially outdated, unsupportive ones!). It used to help me to take on a “business persona” when I had these kind of conversations. Friendly, but also very cool, practical, and matter of fact.

Dear Helen,

I’d like to create a CD and workbook set that I can sell from my website. Problem is, I’m not sure what topic to focus on. I’ve got a lot of ideas, and I want to pick the one that my audience will like and that will sell the best. What do you suggest?

-Eager to Box My Wisdom

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Dear Eager,

Let me commend you on wanting to have something other than your time to offer clients. The ability to leverage your time by “packaging” your expertise will help your practice thrive, as well as give clients another way to access your know-how.

As far as picking a topic, I see it in layers. There’s the big picture. Or All-Purpose Solution, of how you help clients. For example, the all-purpose solution of the IASEP is to help you get out of your own way around marketing and money so you can grow a thriving practice in alignment with your values.

Then within that big picture, there are multiple Sub-Solutions. For IASEP, those might be online marketing, developing an effective website, prosperity consciousness, how to have the “selling conversation,” info product development, etc.

And within each of those sub-solutions, there are multiple Mini-Topics. Developing an effective website could include writing exciting web copy, creating an Irresistible Free Taste, choosing your shopping cart, creating a magnetic landing page, and the list goes on.

The temptation is to pick a fairly general topic, hoping it will appeal to more people. But the key to stronger sales is specificity – people aren’t terribly interested in vague, wide-ranging information. They want detailed solutions for specific problems. If my faucet is leaking, I don’t want to wade through (pun intended) “The Care and Maintenance of Indoor Plumbing.” I’m going to grab the book called, “How to Fix Your Leaky Faucet.”

Some people won’t have a leaky faucet, but they’ll need help with their clogged drain. So that opens up the opportunity to create another product helping them solve that specific problem.

Each person in your audience is experiencing a very specific challenge right now, one they’re willing to invest in solving. By offering a specific solution to that specific challenge, you make it so much easier for them to say yes to your product. Make sense?