A reader asked this question a while back. I wrote a normal, helpful reply and saved it for just such a Q&A email occasion as this one.
But I’m writing a second response to this question now, one I didn’t send. I’ve edited out the personal details, for reasons that may become obvious.
Question: What strategy or marketing guru will help me?
“So I am coming to the end of the 90 day program with a business coach. I rebranded with a new website and began running Facebook ads earlier this month.
“The ads were well done, got a lot of likes and about 75 signed up to watch the webinar. 6 scheduled to talk to me but all never showed up except for 1 who is scheduled to speak to me this week. I was disappointed.
“I lost a little faith with my coach who at first said let the ads run – $80 per day – then when they did not convert she told me to talk to a client for his feedback which was that the word ———– was a problem to which she said she felt that was weak too – after she had written me all the ads…
“So, I can try the new batch but I may have to try another strategy like DM if the new ads do not convert. I did get 70 emails and I did schedule a free zoom call with them to see if they want to interact. I hope so.
“Any suggestions for another strategy or another marketing person to help me?”
My answer: Methinks you’re barking up the wrong dragon cave, dude.
Hey, friend.
I see a pattern emerging, one that I’ve noticed repeating over the time we’ve known each other.
You struggle with something in your business and then go searching for the answer in a strategy, marketing guru, coach or advertising campaign.
You pick someone who looks and smells good, and pay them a bunch of money to do their expert thing.
Then you throw yourself into it, do everything they tell you, and get results that are meh. Not what you expected.
Then, in your disappointment, you pick up the pieces with your tail between your legs, run off, and start the whole process again with a shiny new guru or ad savior.
Do you see it?
First of all, these results aren’t horrible for a first experiment. 75 people signed up for your webinar! They’re giving you the time of day.
Sure, there are some holes in your invitation if they’re not showing up to their appointments. Maybe it’s a mismatched offer or lack of trust. It will take some tweaking and testing to discover what’s going on.
But one thing I can tell you:
You’re not going to find what you’re looking for in another strategy or ad person.
Something else is clearly going on because you’re switching from audience to audience and offer to offer (and guru to guru, by the way) like a hyper puppy who can’t decide which toy to play with – and you’re not playing with any of them for long enough to find out what they can do.
So I offer a few questions that might point you in a direction that will help with your predicament.
#1 – What do you really want to be doing and who do you want to be doing it with?
You’ve tried out a few markets and dangled different offers in front of them to see who bites.
But what about you?
What would you really like to be up to with people?
And who do you really want to play with?
Because when you’re creating something that lights you up, you’ll stick with it long enough to solve the puzzle.
If you’re trying for something that seems “realistic” and “practical,” but that you don’t really enjoy, you’re likely to give up as soon as your old friend Disappointment drops in for a visit.
Once you’ve gotten real with yourself about the answer to question #1…
#2 – What would be a fun way to find and serve the people you’d like to help?
Forget about the funnels and formulas for a second.
This is about YOU.
What would you like to try?
Do you really like webinars and videos? Or do you prefer 1:1 interactions?
Maybe there’s even a weird or ridiculously fun idea or two that keep circling you like flies after honey.
Choose something you’re actually, honestly-to-goddess inspired about. Not because it’s your Guru-of-the-Month’s pet strategy, but because it sounds like fun. For you.
Again, it’s a lot easier to take action and stick with something you actually want to do than it is making yourself follow proven steps that make you want to yack.
And let’s talk about this disappointment thing.
Do you know that disappointment can’t hurt you?
It doesn’t mean anything about what you’re doing or how good you are. Disappointment comes and goes with your thoughts about it.
And you get over it. Every. Single. Time.
It’s not a reason to call in the calvary or shell out more cash to someone who promises to bail you out.
Just keep going.
I don’t mean to be harsh, but I do mean to be real, even if it stings a bit. You’re not alone. I’ve been there, too.
(Did I tell you about the thousands I’ve spent on courses, programs and business coaches who didn’t deliver? Ouch.)
Most entrepreneurs think the how (the strategy) or the who (the guru) will solve all their problems.
But disappointment is an inner game issue, and you’re just going to bring that with you into your next experiment until you become truly disappointment-proof.
I hope this reply encourages you to slow down, let yourself settle, and get some clarity about what’s really going on and you know to do next.
I don’t have a sexy strategy or ad campaign to offer, but if you’re interested in becoming bullet-proof to disappointment, discouragement and fear…you know where to find me.
***
If you’ve been running on the marketing treadmill like a hyper puppy, maybe it’s time to pause, exhale, and rediscover your own rhythm.
That’s exactly what we’ll explore in the upcoming Money Map workshop: how to align your business with what truly makes you come alive.
The Money Map: Design a Profitable Path That’s Unapologetically You
In this 60-minute workshop, you’ll reconnect to what truly lights you up, choose your next-level income from the inside out, and sketch a bold “Money Map” of offers that are wildly aligned, creatively thrilling, and magnetically profitable.
In this workshop, you will…
- Design your business around your ideal life: the people, places, rhythms, and creative expressions you want to wake up to every day.
- Claim the amount of money you desire to receive (not what you think you should settle for) and root it in love.
- Dream up soul-true offers that feel like acts of art, magic, and service in your personal “Money Map.”
You’ll come away with a clear, creative path to making money as yourself and the fire in your belly to actually walk it.
Now, usually, these workshops are exclusive to the IMPACT Creator’s membership. You can’t get them any other way.
But I’ve opened this up for everyone to get a taste of what we’re up to because creating a business you’re in love with is too important for anyone to miss.
So for this month, there are two ways to get the workshop:
#1 – It’s included free with the IMPACT Creators’ membership.
So if you’re a member, you’re all set! (You get access to all our past workshops and bonuses with the membership, too.)
#2 – You can purchase the workshop separately for only $33 here: https://www.theawakenedbusiness.com/moneymap/
Yours in love and play,
Steph
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