From Guest Blogger, Ann Convery: Want the Real Secrets of a Super Star? Ask Will Smith

FILM Smith 1Hi ,

Years ago, Will Smith was doing OK
as a rising TV star and movie actor.

But he was dead clear about his goal:
he wanted to be the biggest movie
star in the world.

So he and his manager studied
the 10 top-grossing movies of all time.

10 out of 10 had special effects.
9 out of 10 had special effects with creatures.
8 out of 10 had special effects with creatures and a love story.

They found the sweet spot in the market.

So they found a special effects script
with creatures and a love story.

Matthew Perry dropped out of
“Independence Day” at the last minute,
and Smith was in.

It was the highest grossing movie of 1996.

“Men in Black” didn’t do too badly either.

By age 44, Will Smith had accrued $4.4 Billion
in box office receipts.

What does this mean for you?

Will Smith’s success is no accident.
He studied the market and
made it happen.

Will Smith, and it might surprise you,
Elton John, Paul McCartney, and Mick Jagger
plotted their rise to the top.

If you want to go from where you are
to the top of your field, take this little test:

Have you actually studied your rise to the top?

Do you have a juicy, mouth-watering vision,
in living color, of what life will be like when you
get there?

Do you know what the sweet spot is
in your market?

Do you know what your market craves
and can’t get enough of?

Do you know what draws people to you and makes them
want you, you, you?

Do you know how to create that?

Think Will Smith. Bruce Willis. Tom Cruise.

Their star power is not an “accident of birth.”

Smith studied every actor, like Don Cheadle,
who came on “Fresh Prince” to learn the
secrets of what made them good.

Do you study the stars in your market
to see what makes them stand out?

Do you know how your market sees you now?

Do you know how to reposition
yourself for amazing success?

Do you have a mentor who can take
you there?

And by the way, you need that
juicy, mouth-watering vision from
the top right now.

Research proves that without a
crystal clear picture of your success,
you’ll never believe you can get there.

So you won’t have the motivation
to get going.

So you stay where you are.

Success is not fairy dust.

It’s more than hard work.

It’s a series of deliberate, planned, calculated,
shrewd moves.

If you answered “yes” to 8 out of
10 questions…

World – Stand back!

You’re on your way.

And..

There’s 1 spot left in the Private Accelerator
Program for entrepreneurs who are hell-bent
on reaching the top.

If this is you, and you’ve got butterflies
just thinking about it –
Good sign.

Send a quick email to annc@annconvery.com with “Ann, I’m interested” in the subject line.I
I’ll send you a one-page application so we can see if you’re a good fit for this high-octane ride.

Copyright © Ann Convery 2012

McMullen, Marion. “The Secret of Will Smith’s Success.” Photo. Coventry Telegraph12 Jun 2012. 27 Mar 2013. <http://blogs.coventrytelegraph.net/passtheremote/2012/06/the-secret-of-will-smiths-succ.html&gt;

Ann Convery’s Total Money Makeover Mastermind is Today, Wednesday, at 2:00pm PDT—-There is one Seat Left! Train’s leaving the Station! Don’t let the train leave without you!

There’s 1 seat left.

 

And when it’s gone, it’s gone.

 

So your choice is simple visit:  www.totalmoneymastermind.com

 

If…

 

  • it’s finally time to put your sales problems in the past

 

  • it’s finally time to develop the confidence to sell in any situation

 

  • you’re ready to receive the secrets to sales from 2 mentors who are responsible for literally millions of dollars in sales over the past 5 years

then, this Total Money Makeover Mastermind train is for you.  Jump aboard

And get ready to accelerate your sales and master your financial future.

The following is a guest blog by Ann Convery. Ann is offering an amazing free telecall tomorrow:

Don’t Talk About The Features Of Your Service — They Scare Away Your Prospects

By Ann Convery

So this is the deal…. let me tell you about Joanne. She’s one of the smartest people I know when it comes to grabbing people’s attention. She was a business strategist and a good copywriter, and she knew her stuff backwards and forwards. If she got into a private discussion with you she’d solve your problems like that. But when she got in front of a prospect, and there was a whiff of a sale in the air, (little laugh) she started babbling, and it was driving her nuts. She was watching people walk away. And she was at the point of abandoning her business, in fact her husband was pushing her to let it go, and find a job. And here=s how we turned it around for Joanne and this is the same thing that will turn it around for you.

Because Joanne was a great coach, she was a great teacher. And I know a lot of you are good teachers. And teachers tend to stay teach way before they should – like, talk about how great the features of their service or programs are to people they’ve just met.

And Joanne was scared of being salesy, so she retreated into her comfort zone, teaching. She’d say, I’m not only an MBA, I’m a certified NLP practitioner, so when I coach with people I’m able to get into what’s blocking them immediately, and remove the blocks so they go much faster. In fact we do that on the first session. And because I do laser-coaching on unconscious blocks, , my clients get a global vision of their business in the first session, blah blah blah blah blah blah… these are features.

Here Joanne was telling everyone she met how much she could give them, and there is nothing that turns off a prospect faster than features. And the biggest mistake people make is that they use adjectives to make their features sound really cool. Too many adjectives — can actually kill a sale. Joanne ended up several times in tears in the ladies’ room at networking events.

And she realized that all her emails were stuffed with features, which is why she had such a poor open rate. So we actually put a sign on her desk and in her purse that said “No Features.” The only thing she talked about was results. She said, “Clients come to me when their backs are against the wall. Like Tom. By the time he called me, they’d turned off his light bill and he hadn’t had a client in three months. 60 days later, he had 4 new clients, 6 good prospects, and his monthly income had gone from 0 to 16,000.”

She realized what most of us just don’t realize about features—and it sounds stupid, but they’re an addiction, and they’re dangerous. They’re so comfortable, especially for teachers. And they’re like a huge brick wall between you and the clients who really want to work with you. Why are they so dangerous? They’re dangerous because block feeling. 

When you talk about features, you’re asking your clients to think. And they do. But they don’t feel. And if your audience doesn’t feel, nothing happens. No sale happens, no signing happens. Nothing moves. And that’s why it’s so mysterious, that’s why it’s so painful, and that’s why you can’t put your finger on it. People keep asking you – “What do you do?” How do you do that?

And so you tell them. And it’s like handing chocolate to a chocoholic; the addiction kicks in.

“Ooooh, this feels so good, I’m talking about my best features. I’m talking about those degrees I worked so hard to get.” And they disappear. Your audience disappears. Features are such an innocent, tragic mistake that can keep you from thousands of dollars that are just outside your door, they’re waiting. And you’re turning them off.

And it doesn’t have to be that way. You don’t have to suffer and neither does your income. Just take the features out of your conversation, and out of most of your copy. And talk about your results instead.

Copyright © Ann Convery 2012

 
 

Crafting A Successful PR Pitch

The primary focus of a public relations campaign needs to be meeting the media’s needs.  If you don’t accomplish that, you’re missing the mark.  Meet the media’s needs and you’ll meet yours.  As I’ve stated in other articles, leading with statistics can be an effective approach.  Let’s say you’re a health care worker that deals with chronic pain.  Or you produce a supplement that helps relieve pain; you can lead with the fact that chronic pain affects approximately 25 percent of the U.S. population and three-fifths of adults 65 or older.  Find some studies and statistics that you can quote that illustrate that the story you’re pitching does indeed affect a large number of people.

Numbers and statistics help give a PR pitch gravitas.  Also never forget that the media is interested in their own type of statistics; they’re interested in the number of viewers, readers or listeners that will be interested in this story.  So the more you can assure them that this is a story that not only affects, but will also interest a large target market, the better your chances of landing a story.  Once you’ve used your statistics to narrow down your specific pitch, you can then take a reverse course and broaden your pitch.  For example if you use statistics to show how pain affects older Americans, after making that point, you can then add a sentence stating that this type of pain does not only strike seniors, but a wide range of people, from professional athletes and weekend jocks to those who suffer with fibromyalgia and arthritis, who deal with bouts of acute and chronic pain.

Use statistics to give your pitches credibility.  For example, if you’re pitching a story about complementary medicine, look online for stats regarding how popular alternative and complementary medicine has become.  Then, depending on the specific angle of the story you’re pitching, you can use those statistics to illustrate why your story idea is both important and timely.  Now use those statistics in your press releases and pitches.

After making a specific pitch, close with other topics and angles that you can address.  Include a short (very short) bio listing your expertise and qualifications and that you can also address such topics as (fill in the blank).  That way if your particular pitch doesn’t work for an editor or producer, they can see that there are other topics that you can address.

Using statistics, numbers and figures can help anchor a pitch and a story, but don’t rely on stats alone; the main part of your pitch needs to be compelling and newsworthy.  So, when launching a media relations campaign, keep the media’s needs in mind; first develop your pitch and then look for stats that help give your story idea credence.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

Learning the PR Mindset

Launching and sustaining a public relations campaign is an ongoing process.  In the PR world, you are continually refining and modifying your approach, pitches, story ideas, and media lists.  If a basic pitch is working, you want to stay with it for a bit.  One mistake I’ve seen companies make is that they try to continually send out new pitches and releases simply for the sake of getting new information out to the media. This mindset of continually writing press releases that aren’t newsworthy in order to keep new information flowing, is a dangerous one.   Yes you want to offer the media new angles, pitches and media hooks, but you don’t want to send out new information unless it’s truly warranted.

Monitor how your media pitches and press releases are being received.  If a pitch you sent out six weeks ago is gaining traction and garnering media coverage, stay with that story.  Work it; develop it; use the media coverage you’re now landing to garner more media coverage.  Don’t shift your focus simply because your calendar says it’s time for a new media release.  Truth is that media relations is more of an art than a science (which drives most left brainers crazy).  If you try to simply set up a mechanical or statistical PR gameplan and allow that to dictate the campaign, you’re in trouble

As with the media itself an effective public relations campaign is fluid.  It is both proactive and reactive. If a national story breaks and you can tie your story to it, you need to be able to react, move quickly and change your approach.  If, on the other hand, a pitch is working and gaining traction, you want to stay with it, work it and keep it moving.  Media relations can be difficult for those who need to follow a specific course set-in-stone approach.  It is an ever changing, continually evolving practice.

Begin by creating a list of objectives that you want to achieve before launching a media relations campaign.  Now come up with a list of story angles and media pitches that you can use.   When it comes to PR brainstorming, your goal is to create a list of the most important story ideas including: new business concepts, the unique value you offer, important information you can give, and anecdotal stories.  Part of that process is to give some thought to how and why you can be presented as an expert in your overall field.

Initially you want to come up with your story ideas and media pitches, followed by your target media lists.  Create specific objectives, but allow the campaign the ability to shift and change course.  Developing an effective PR strategy is not unlike creating an effective sports gameplan.  You develop a strategy and draw up specific plays, but you also allow yourself the ability to act and react depending on what comes at you. There is an intuitive aspect to the PR process that has to allow for action and reaction.  You want to set up a specific target and gameplan, but you need to be able to shift and alter your plan as needed.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

Media Training Secrets for Business Success

When I began in the public relations world over twenty years ago (that’s daunting), I quickly realized that landing an interview or a story for a client was only a part of the process.  Early on that first part of the process was my primary focus.  My job was to garner media coverage for my clients on TV, print or radio (this was actually pre social media days) and that was that.  Well I soon learned there was a huge difference between simply landing an interview and having the client give the media a successful interview.

Clients need to be prepared to speak to the media.  Although the best interviews seem like conversations, in fact they are not.  Both the interviewer and the interviewee have an agenda.  The interviewer wants to interest his or her target audience; the interviewee wants to get his or her message across, which should include a call to action.  Interviews work when the questions and answers flow and the agendas don’t clash.  But this is easier said than done.  After having producers and editors give me some tough but needed feedback about clients who were either boring or were too pushy, I realized that in order to achieve real PR success, media training was needed.

That’s when I brought on Ann Convery.  Ann has served as our media trainer since then.  She is now an international speaker, seminar leader, trainer and author who has prepared clients for interviews on Oprah, CNN, 60 Minutes, The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, as well as hundreds of local, regional and trade-oriented media outlets.  Ann’s gift is to teach clients how to distill their message and speak to the media in a way that meets the media’s needs but also meets the client’s needs.

For a PR or media relations campaign to be successful, landing interviews and media coverage is not enough.  Clients need to be able to deliver their message in a clear, succulent, informative and entertaining manner.  Easier said than done, but it is a skill that can be learned.   For years Ann has prepared our clients to do just that, deliver effective and successful media interviews.

But her real genius was her ability to connect the dots and realize that the ability to effectively communicate with the media could be just as powerful and effective when communicating in the business world.  Using her media training skills and techniques, she developed Speak Your Business in 30 Seconds or Less.  Speak Your Business is a system that shows you how to find very specific words and numbers – found only in your business – so that you are effortlessly speaking and writing directly to the hidden, hungry “buying” brain in your prospects, every time.  Utilizing these tools, many of Ann’s clients have generated up to thousands of dollars in business within months with her Signature Series program, “You’re So Brilliant. Why Don’t They Buy?”

The bottom line is if you’re going to launch a public relations campaign for you and your business, you first need to master the art of effectively communicating.  Just last month a client who assured me he had been media trained and was set to do interviews, came off looking like a deer in the headlights when we landed him a spot on a TV news program.   Believe me, media training is a skill that will serve you well.   More importantly, as Ann teaches, these communication tools and skills work whether you’re talking to the media, delivering a speech, networking or making a phone call to a prospect.

For more information visit:   www.annconvery.com     

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

From Guest Blogger, Ann Convery: Here Comes the Bride, er, Sale

Heads up:  Be sure to read the P.S. !

Jeannie was a corporate coach who expertly guided managers into creating contented, committed employees.

Her clients adored her.

But Jeannie was miserable…and broke.

Why?

Jeannie hated sales.

“I love talking to people, I love teaching, but I hate the selling part,” she said, with a shudder.

When you hate the “selling part”…

1. You will linger in the friendly, feel-good get-to-know-you phase.

2. You will not move the process forward.

3. You may be getting other needs met through your business,

such as being liked and getting approval.

4. You may develop a warm, close relationship with your prospect,

so you’re mystified when they don’t buy.

5. You may sabotage your own attempts to get new clients.

 

And you will baffle your prospects, who could use your superb service, because you never make them a clear offer.

 

Jeannie’s Big Mistake:

She thought of “the selling part” as a single, lone event occurring all by itself.

It’s not.

If you think of the selling part as “that awful thing you have to go through,” like a root canal, it will never occur to you to set up the sale.

When you set up to sell, 50%, sometimes 75%, of your work is already done.

Selling is a lot like dating.

When you go on a first date, is your first question, “So, what do we name the kids?”

I think not.

Closing a sale is like walking down the aisle.

It’s the result of small, careful steps of preparation.

You prepare your prospect to have that selling conversation with you by:

Having a tantalizing opening conversation that makes them want to hear more

Sending a follow-up report or quiz with a gripping title that you offer them before that first conversation is ove

You may also snail-mail them  your report, to impress them

  • You have a website loaded with content that speaks to their pressing needs and challenges
  • You make a follow-up call asking what they thought of the report
  • You have a short follow-up conversation to discuss their biggest goals and challenges
  • You offer an invitation to spend an hour going deeper into their goals and challenges, and your offer
  • If applicable, you send a questionnaire that they can fill out before they speak with you again

This is setting up to sell.

It’s romancing your prospect.

Jeannie added a few extra twists to this process:

 

  • She had an intern send out her report, and  set up the follow-up call, so she looked like a bigger company.
  • She made sure her report nailed the emotional pain her prospects felt – in detail.
  • She had her intern set up the sales conversation, 10 days later. (Use the time lag for big-ticket items only.)
  • She had her intern mail them another freebie – a “Management Bible”, before the call.
  • She had the intern email a questionnaire, instructing the client to return it in 48 hours of the sales conversation.

The subliminal message to her prospects was:

1. I have to wait 10 days?  Her time is valuable.

2. She has a staff.  She must be doing well.

3. She knows our problem cold.

4. This is not going to be cheap.

By the time Jeannie called her prospects to have the selling conversation, she knew as much about them as they did about her.

She was extremely well prepared to discuss their challenges and goals.

Probing deeper into their problems was easy,  since she already knew what their biggest problems were                                                  

Prospects viewed her with more respect, which helped her keep her boundaries and conduct the BD Session like a pro.

Stating her fees was much easier, since they had been psychologically prepared to consider a serious investment.

She followed a sales script, deliberately guiding them through every step they needed to go through to become her client.

And…

She closed 3 new big-ticket clients in 65 days.

Why?

She had set up to sell.

She had romanced her clients.

She had gone from the first date to walking down the aisle with her new clients.

There are many other ways to set up a sale, stay tuned.

But when you realize selling is part of a deliberate process, selling becomes just another step along the way.

Try it.  It works!

Ann

P.S. … Just a heads up that I am going to be opening up a 4 month Platinum VIP Coaching Program in the next few days.

We only have spots for 5 people so when you see the email let me know if you want me to help you.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

 

From Guest Blogger, Ann Convery: The Miracle of Packaging an Offer

Claire was a “best-kept secret.”

When she worked her magic on her client’s marketing materials…

they began to make tens of thousands, sometimes several hundred thousand, in extra income.

“So why don’t I have a bigger business?” she sighed.

“I make money for everyone but me!”

Claire was ignoring two big holes in her own business.

1. She wasn’t making clear offers.
2. She wasn’t packaging her offers.

Claire offered teleseminars, workshops, she took personal clients for 8 sessions. She even spoke frequently.

But no one really “got” Claire’s gifts until they worked with her.

And no one “got” that Claire had more than a workshop or a teleseminar to offer.

So why was Claire hiding in the “Offer Closet”?

  1. She did not take the time to write an exact, sexy, tantalizing offer for her market.
    (How much time does it take?  About an HOUR.)
  2. She did not offer packages so that people knew WHAT and HOW to buy from her.
    (How much time does it take to create a package?  About an HOUR.)
  3. Deep down, Claire did not feel as if she had much more to offer.
  4. Deep down, Claire loved what she did so much she would have done it for free, and often did.
  5. Deep down, Claire had no idea where she’d find clients who’d pay her what she was worth.

Finally one of her clients told her outright:

“I’d have paid you a thousand a month for a year if you’d only offered a program after your teleseminar.”

The restaurant was open, but Claire wasn’t on the menu.

Here’s what happened when she decided to go for it:

Claire Before:
“I help professionals redefine their marketing  so they attract up to twice the business.”

Claire After: 
“Before I worked with Jack, he and his team were doing $2 Million in sales at a Fortune 100.  Six months later, they made $10 Million.”

Next, Claire sat down and sketched out 3 programs in which she redesigned her client’s marketing top to bottom.

It took her an hour.

Later that week a prospect called and said, “How do I work with you?”

Claire said, “I have a 3-month program for $11,000, a 6-month program for 17,000, and a 12-month program for $27,000.”

And she described the results he would get in each one
– in tantalizing detail.

The man replied, “Wow, I didn’t know it was that much.  I want the $27,000 program.  I’ll have to take out a loan.
When do we start?”

This is a true story.

Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Are you hiding in the Offer Closet?

  • Is it crystal clear what amazing results people get when they work with you?
  • Have you clearly designed programs for each level of participation?
  • Is there a huge program you “could” offer but you think it’s impossible to fill?

What’s stopping you?

Create the offer, create the programs, GET PREPARED, and they will find you.

Why?

Because the whole energy of your business will change.

People will feel it.

And “Luck” happens when Preparation meets Opportunity.

Try it.  It works!

Copyright © Ann Convery 2011

What’s a Zinger and How Can it Bring You Faster Money?

Deborah was a business growth coach whose clients raved about her work.

So why was she struggling for business?

“This is humiliating!” she said.  “I’m the growth coach. What am I doing wrong?”

Deborah wasn’t using Zingers.

Deborah was logical, rational, and explained just what she did:

“My clients go from struggling to successful in 12 to 18 months.”

There are no Zingers here.

A Zinger is a little suggestion or phrase that tells your audience you know their pain.

A Zinger tells them:

“I’m here inside your head. I know just how you feel.”

No Zingers, no feeling.

No feeling, no clients.

In order for someone to take action with you,

1. They have to feel the gap between where they are and where they could be
2. You need to allow them to feel this gap, frequently

Where can you find great Zingers? Look at the complaints your clients have.

When Deborah started dropping Zingers such as…

“When I met Jean she was too broke to hire help, and so burned out it was making her sick..”

“When I started with Sue, she just broke down sobbing.  She’d put on 30 lbs since her business started.  Just eating to calm the panic…”

“At first, my client Jo was so deeply in debt she’d stopped looking at her bank statements…”

And then Deborah followed up with where her clients are now…

“When I started with Mary, she was too scared to charge what she was worth, and she couldn’t pay her phone bill.  Now she has two part-time employees and she’s set to break six figures this year.”

A good Zinger:

Suddenly makes you the Trusted Ally, instead of the Salesy Expert

Instantly places you mentally and emotionally close to your prospect

Speeds up the buying cycle, bringing you faster money.

Breaks through dozens of mental and emotional barriers

Surprises your clients because they thought no one knew how they felt inside

Enters the conversation inside their heads and keeps it going

Positions you as the Uber-Guide who knows how to lead them out of the swamp

and MOST IMPORTANT:

Good Zingers make your clients FEEL.

No feeling, no action.

No action, no clients.

Look at the complaints you get from your current clients.

Get every juicy little detail.

Then drop them into your conversation, your tweets, your social media, and your website.

Try it.

It works.

For more nuggets about how to increase your money and client flow, visit me at http://www.annconvery.com

Copyright © Ann Convery 2011

From Guest Blogger, Ann Convery–>More Clients Secrets: Take the Sting out of Client Objections Forever

Here’s how to take the sting out of an objection.

(If you like this secret, join us for a lot more – below.)

So…how do you take the sting out of an objection?

Agree with the objection.

When a potential client says,   “I can’t afford your fee,” – it looks like an objection.

It’s not.  It’s really a plea for more help and information.

If your future client says your price is too high, she doesn’t get your value yet.

She doesn’t have enough information to make a decision – so she’s objecting.

Say you’re a business coach. Agree with her.

Tell her, “So, our objective is to make more money in your business at a fee you can afford, right?”

(Always put the transformation you deliver into your question.)

Your future client will say, “Yes, that’s right.”

  1.  This turns the conversation in a positive direction.
  2.  She’s agreeing with you.
  3.  And you can nail down her real concern (she’s afraid she won’t get enough value for her hard-earned money.)

Agreeing with objections is a lot easier than trying to overcome them.

Try it – it works!

Would you like more where that came from? These secrets are unusual. They are rooted in the Unconscious.

And they always work. Because the Unconscious rules you and me.  Work with it and you can get just about anything you want.

Check out our upcoming blog posts on:

  1. Why people’s first unconscious response to you is “NO” and
    what you MUST do to reverse that  “No”… with your first 10 words. 
    (Neglect this and you could be losing half the prospects you’re trying to attract.)
  2. How to show your prospects you’re one of their tribe,
    so they immediately accept you.  (Use this secret and
    your future clients can’t wait to do business with you.)
  3.   How to arouse emotion – unconsciously – using the 5 senses,
    so your prospects want ONLY YOU – without knowing why.
    (This is THE most powerful marketing tool in the world.)
  4.  How to RE-POSITION – not lower – your fees, so you are
    not losing potential clients due to “Old Brain Buying Pain.”
    (Miss this and you could lose clients who “freeze” at your
    fees.)
  5. How to reverse-engineered questions bring in more clients - 
    verbally and online.  (It’s easy and it can make you a lot more money.)
  6. Your Home Page – is it about You or Them?
    (If it’s about You, you could be losing a LOT of customers.)

And More!

These techniques work, this science is new, and I want
you to have more business in the next 3 months.

It may be a new year and a new economy.

But the 450,000 brain hasn’t budged.

Engage it, and you can bring in more business and income within weeks.

Ignore it, and you can butt your head against the wall for another 12 months
and never know why.

Copyright © Ann Convery 2011

From Guest Blogger, Ann Convery: How to Be The Answer to Your Client’s Prayer


Elizabeth was an expert teacher and healer.

Potential clients saw her as a great help.

Elizabeth wanted future clients to see her, 
not as “great help,” but as  essential to their well-being.
But clients often don’t see you as essential 
unless you directly impact the bottom line.

“How can I stop being seen as the “help” – as in 
“I help men and women heal from cancer and chronic illness?”

Elizabeth sighed.  “People just don’t get what I do!”

If you provide a service where money is not the bottom line,
 how do you position yourself as a Trusted Advisor?
Or maybe even… the answer to their prayers?

You let your future clients know within the first
 two minutes that you impact their emotional or physical
 bottom line.

Their what?!

We all have several bottom lines.

If you need to lose weight, you’re very clear on
 your physical bottom line – it’s about 20 lbs lighter.

If you want to find your soul mate, you’re very clear on
your emotional bottom line – it’s called “Happily Ever After.”

If you are critically or chronically ill, you’re very clear
 on your health bottom line – it’s pain-free long life.

The closer you are to your client’s personal 
bottom line, the more valuable you are to them.

Here’s how Susan, Jackie, and Jeff, all experts in their field, were presenting themselves:

SUSAN SAYS:  “I help my clients lose weight and get in the best shape of their lives.”

YOU THINK:     “Go away so I can sneak another Danish.”

JACKIE SAYS:  “I help women find the relationship of their dreams.”

YOU THINK:     “Gosh, I’ve never heard that one before.”

JEFF SAYS:      “I help my clients heal from cancer and chronic illness.”

YOU THINK :    “Great.  You’re probably too ‘New Age’ for me.”

The problem for Susan, Jackie and Jeff was…

  1. Potential clients didn’t see their expertise as critical to their lives.
  2.  They gave their audience no clue that they were the answer to a client’s prayer.
  3.  They were therefore perceived as “Helpful” service providers.
  4.   All three experts even used the verb – “I help.”

Here’s how Susan, Jackie and Jeff repositioned themselves as
 Trusted Advisors, or, the answer to a client’s prayer:

SUSAN:  “I just worked with Jennifer, who went from a size 10 to a 4.  
The new man in her life asked her if she was a model.  95% of my 
clients achieve their ideal weight in 6 to 18 months.”

JACKIE: “85% of my clients are in a committed relationship in 12 months.  
I’m invited to so many weddings I can’t go to them all.”

JEFF:    “When I met Joan, the doctors had given up on her.  She was too 
weak to get out of bed.  1 month later she was walking.  12 months later 
she opened her own business, and now she’s training for her first marathon.”

When your clients look at you…
do they see a Helper?  Or the answer to their prayers?

You either add to their personal bottom line, or you don’t.
That’s how clients see it.

So if you want to be seen as a Trusted Advisor…
(and I’ve never met a professional who didn’t)
let your potential clients know within the first two minutes 
how you add to their personal bottom line.

Don’t be one of the crowd.

Be the answer to their prayer.
 Try it!  It works!

Copyright © Ann Convery 2011

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