10 Days To A Bigger

Bottom Line    

A  Field  Guide  to  Profit  for  Small  Business  Owners  SICK  of  being  Over  Worked  and  

Under  Paid  

B.  Michelle  Pippin    

Copyright © 2015 by B. Michelle Pippin

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage or retrieval system without express written, dated and signed permission from the author.

Table  of  Contents  

Introduction:  Who  Is  This  Book  For?  .......................  3  

Day  1:  Your  Hit  List  .......................................................  11  

Day  2:  Gather  Your  Lowest  Hanging  Fruit:  Referrals  .............................................................................  17  

Day  3:    Reward  &  Remind  ...........................................  23  

Day  4:  Give  Yourself  An  Unfair  Advantage  Over  Your  Competitors  ...........................................................  30  

Day  5:  Highs  &  Nos  ........................................................  37  

Day  6:  The  Cornerstone  of  Your  Most  Profitable  Marketing  Plan  ................................................................  45  

Day  7:  My  Top  Client  Getting  Strategy  ..................  49  

Day  8:  Scooping  Up  the  Piles  of  Profit  You’ve  Left  on  the  Table  ......................................................................  53  

Day  9:  Fortune  Favors  the  Bold  ...............................  57  

Day  10:  Inching  Closer  to  the  YES  ...........................  59  

Conclusion:  Putting  It  All  Together  ........................  65  

Did  you  enjoy  this  book?  .............................................  67    

   

Introduction:  Who  Is  This  Book  For?

If you’ve tried every new strategy and “no fail” marketing system on the internet, and you’re working harder and faster, but you’re still not moving the needle in terms of building your bottom line, you’ve got the right book. Hopefully, you also have a thick skin, because hard truths will not be candy-coated. Who exactly is this program for? Well, you -- assuming you’re in private practice and / or are a solo practitioner and are responsible for generating sales, new clients, and profit. Especially if you’ve read tons of business books and invested in marketing programs and coaches already... none of which simplified sales and profit for you... all of which fell short of being an actual, step-by-step help. If this is you, welcome. We’ll get into more specifics about exactly who will get the most value out of this in a second. Let’s first state the obvious. Business is tough. Sure we love what we do. We may even be the BEST at what we do. But selling and marketing what we do? For a healthy profit? All while competing with online giants? Increasing competition

willing to forego profit to “get the deal?” Profit-robbing “group couponing” sites? Online “legal teams” for attorneys? Big medicine for independent physicians? And over-hyped “experts” for my coaches and speakers? It’s no wonder the business battlefield is littered with the corpses of amazing service providers that simply couldn’t make a living doing what they loved to do... what they were good at doing. The sad part is, these businesses died -- their best customers and clients mourning the loss -- along with someone’s dream of being their own boss, creating jobs and creating something great in their community. All because they never fixed the PROFIT engine in their business. Depending on the statistic and the year, the failure rate of small business still hovers around 80%. But, did you know it hasn’t always been this way? Not too far back in American history -- just prior to the Industrial Revolution -- MOST OF US were self-employed, and profitably so. What happened? In my opinion, we small businesses began to get too fancy, too sophisticated, too complicated. We took our eyes off of what

mattered: a GREAT product or service, intimate RELATIONSHIPS with our clients, and a deliberately created (and religiously maintained) engine for producing PROFIT. I think now would be a good time to give you a quick warning about this book, a program designed to walk with you step by step, day by day as you create a bigger bottom line for your business, practice or firm. WARNING: This book will include some contrarian strategies, but not by design. I never deliberately try to be contrarian... I don’t hope to commit business heresy. However, I’m a profit strategist. So, when 80% of business owners are failing and even more are struggling, it makes sense to me that MUCH of what is accepted as “truth” about profit is... well, b.s. So, yes, I’ll speak out against widely accepted “truths” in an effort to help you make more money. If you’re easily offended, you bought the wrong book. Moving on. So, who is this book for? First, let me tell you who it’s NOT for... since I’ve been researching books, programs (at all levels of crazy

investment!) and other fixes regarding sales, business & profit. It is NOT for those who need to be constantly spoon-fed sugarcoated pleasantries. It is NOT for excuse makers, whiners, lazies, crazies, and those ALWAYS looking for the escape hatch or the easy button. It IS for the solo professional who is great at their craft and who deserves and wants new clients. I’ve worked privately and in groups with hundreds of business owners, and have found my programs to be of MOST value to the following professionals: Accountants Attorneys Acupuncturists Interior Designers Business Coaches Life Coaches Massage Therapists Physicians in Private Practice Consultants Title Companies Media Consultants Chiropractors Hypnotherapists Health Coaches

Financial Coaches Mortgage Loan Officers Real Estate Pros Professional Organizers Construction Company Owners Photographers Speakers Authors Virtual Assistants Insurance Companies Salon Owners Copywriters Financial Planners

And this list is growing daily.

The good news is that there IS a way to maximize the profit in your business. And it’s a lot simpler than most of the -- let’s be blunt -- JUNK pedaled to business owners on a daily basis. The right way (full of integrity and impressive in speed) to build your own bottom line is included in this bite-sized book. This is NOT a full profit system. It is a jump-start. It is a shot in the arm. It is a step-by-step, 10-day challenge to help you infuse your business with new clients and higher profit. (To get more, ongoing business strategy from me year round, join our Practical Profits mastermind, for free at www.womenwhowow.com.

This book was designed originally to be delivered to your email box, one day at a time. If I could ask you -- beg you -- to do one thing, it wouldn’t be to join my email list or buy one of my programs. It would be to go through this program one day at a time, reading ONLY one chapter at a time and taking action on just that one chapter. It’s only ten days. I beg you to stay with me. My fear with releasing this as a book is that it will be consumed, but never acted upon. Because you’ve read enough. It’s time for action. Everything I will ask you to do is simple, but also deliberate and savvy. So, why don’t most business owners do what this program will show you? First, it takes time. Not tons of time… in fact, it can be done in 30 - 60 minutes a day. But most business owners are WAY TOO focused on getting their name “out there” than getting their clients or patients “in here.” Far too few learn that critical skill of creating clients and building profit. They have it all backwards, and it’s costing them. Second, no one has showed them how.

This book isn’t broken into modules and 349 pages of text. It’s far too simple and straightforward for that. While I know that “bulk” sells, I refuse to detract from the actual strategies and profit assignments by weighing it down with hyperbole. The goal is to jump start YOUR profit engine... in ten days... with just a bit of boldness, and a heavy dose of hustle. I’m straight forward and to the point... because your bottom line grows only when you take action on the information contained in the next several pages. With your permission, I’d like to get started. Let’s go.

Day  1:  Your  Hit  List Wasting no time on filler, I want to remind you all WHY we’re here - what we’re up to for 10 days: Increasing YOUR Bottom Line. More money. And whether you sell insurance, cosmetics, coaching, widgets or chiropractic care, more money means you have to do one of two things:

1. Sell your product or service to more (new, different) people, OR

2. Sell MORE of your product or service

to the people you already count among your clients or customers.

Selling is the only way to increased income for the self-employed and the sales professional. No need to sugar coat or avoid that one. BUT, much of YOUR frustration - according to what countless business owners in various industries tell me - is that you feel like you’re spinning your wheels. You’ve done and are doing a lot. But, you feel like all of your effort - or much of it - has proven fruitless. All of your posts are falling on deaf ears. Your numbers might be rising - social media contacts, media placements, networking meetings attended, business cards

collected - but your DOLLARS aren’t. Today, this will begin to change. Because today we’re changing our perspective and goal and action plan. Today, we’re no longer focused on sharing an opportunity... or getting your name out there.... or connecting... or building your network... or anything other than building your own bottom line. THIS is where your business begins to take off. So, for today, the plan is to know who you are targeting over the next ten days. Not a demographic summary. Not some description that would win an English award or even secure a business loan. Nope. We need to know WHO. By name. (I’ve long described “The Hit List” as the most reliable, most consistent money making tool I’ve ever used in business. If you want to dig deeper into this topic, read this article: http://www.bmichellepippin.com/the-most-reliable-most-consistent-money-making-tool/ Look, we only have TEN DAYS together on this challenge. So, we need to target specific people who COULD and SHOULD be our clients or customers. Demographic descriptions don’t buy. People buy. You want to find people who

you know would LOVE what you have to offer. These are people that perhaps you’ve LONG considered ideal clients... you’ve dropped the hints. Maybe you’ve started the conversation with them. But, you’ve not closed it. These are people who you interact with on Facebook or Twitter or Linked In... or church or NAWBO or the gym. Quick answer to a specific question posed to me recently: You want to know how to cut through the NOISE on Facebook? Target and speak to specific people while you’re there... not to the masses, but to specific people. So, the plan today is to make a list of 50 people that you’ll be targeting, talking to and selling to over the next ten days. We won’t ONLY talk to these people, but we’ll be SURE to talk to them. Fifty. Specific People. Write down their names. And THEN, reach out to them. Here are some thoughts as to how to do that. Because, listen... “checking in” on someone is creepy... and a bit needy. As is “following up”... Why don’t you just say, “Hey - I’m wondering if you were going to buy from me, but FORGOT....” =) Kidding, of course. Here are some suggestions for

how to reach out to these fifty people today.

• Swing by their Facebook page and respond to something they’ve said, or simply post a note on their wall that you were thinking of them and wanted to reach out.

• Find the last email they sent to you and respond to it again... Ask how they’re doing. Or ask them a specific question that relates to something they’ve said to you in the past. Responding to a previous email will remind them - and YOU - of past conversations you’ve had. It won’t seem as cold.

• Pop a postcard in the mail letting

them know you were thinking of them. Or better yet, cut out an article about their alma mater, their industry, or something of interest to them and send that to them through the mail.

• Ask someone to meet you for

coffee.

• Invite someone to attend the next networking meeting you’re going to.

Let them know you’ll meet them there.

Above all, keep it relational. Keep it authentic. Just because we’re targeting a list of prospects doesn’t mean we’re not being authentic, by the way. We’re just being focused... and on people that we know that we - or our product - can serve. (P.S. This list CAN include current clients or customers that you need to bring back into your practice or introduce to new product or services... or those you haven’t heard from in far too long. BUT, include NEW people too!) I ALWAYS have a list of prospects. Always. And, because I want this jump-start plan we’re developing to serve you FAR beyond our ten days together, you should know that you should always have a running list of specific people (or businesses, for B2B folks) you’re targeting. When one person becomes a NO, you cross them off the list and replace them. When someone becomes a YES, you cross them off the list and replace them. This way, you’ll always have a plan of (exactly) who to speak to, who to engage with, who to focus on. Aim Small. Miss Small.

Alright. So, it’s day one and we’re OFF. We’ll make a list of prospects. Go through your existing connections. Find those ideal clients you’ve overlooked. Write them down. And SOMEHOW, in SOME WAY, connect with them today. Tomorrow... we’ll ramp it up a bit. I hope you’re ready. In the meantime, here’s one of my most popular posts about the THREE Marketing Mistakes to AVOID like Plague.

Day  2:  Gather  Your  Lowest  Hanging  Fruit:  Referrals

No time to waste. We’re moving on to day TWO of our challenge. Obviously, we’re going to FINISH somehow reaching out to those 50 people we named as sales targets yesterday, if this isn’t already done. Nothing takes priority over that. There’s no way out of it. No excuses. THEN, we can move on to Day TWO, which is all about generating some “low hanging fruit” sales - and there’s nothing easier than selling to someone who’s been referred to you. Referred customers are less likely to have sticker shock (they’ve been warned about your fees) and are pre-disposed to buy from you. I know you’ve already tried to get referrals. Please stay with me anyway, because you’re right. Most business owners go about asking for referrals, but they’re asking - and rewarding - referrals all wrong. It’s no wonder why they have so few!

So, let’s do it right and generate some referrals. To do this, you want to choose FIVE of your top, most excited, most supportive, well-satisfied clients, patients or customers. They can be past or current. These five people are who you’ll reach out to today. Email is fine... as long as it has a relational tone, isn’t too “stuffy” or long, and is super - specific to them. You’ll want to let them know what (exactly) makes them ideal clients for you, why you loved working with them, how you’re actively growing your business and how you’d love to continue to serve people just like them. Because you know that “birds of a feather” stick together, you’d love to know if they knew of anyone - like them - who would really appreciate the product or service they themselves loved so much. So, a sample email might look something like this: “Hi Vickie. I hope this email finds you doing well. I’m sure you’re gearing up for another weekend of Hokie football, and I hope you’re able to make it to more games

this year than last! It sure looks like it will be an exciting season! I’m reaching out to you today because I’m actively ramping up my business for the last quarter of the year. Part of what I’m doing involved choosing my top, favorite, most ideal clients ever and that short list - of course - included you. I loved doing business with you because you were so knowledgeable about what you wanted, you were a pleasure to get to know, and I know that you’ve also enjoyed our work together. They say that “birds of a feather stick together” and I know you are very well connected in your community. While I’ve always grown my business by referral, I’d really love for the remainder of this year to be spent serving more and more clients just like you. Do you know anyone in your Kiwanis club or church group who is actively job seeking and may appreciate a complimentary resume review by me? Of course, anyone you refer to me, I’ll give priority status and be sure to give them

my absolute best. If anyone comes to mind, I’ve found the best - most comfortable - way for people to refer to me is by simply making a quick introduction to me and the person you’re referring via email. If anyone comes to mind, I’d love to meet them!” Something like that. It’s very relational. We’re talking directly to that person, using information we know about them personally. We’ve asked for a referral based on specific criteria, suggested where they might look for someone to refer to us and we’ve guided them in how to make the referral. In short, we’ve made it easy for them. Contrast that with the “typical” referral “system” -- described in this 2 minute video that I’ve seen deployed in utter failure too many times to count: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhAHG1fQrsc Okay, so let’s recap... we’re asking FIVE people to refer ideal clients to us. We’re being relational, specific and open. And

this will work, so I’m excited to hear about your results. Tomorrow will be a two-part challenge. We’ll learn how to REWARD referrals in such a way that will urge people to refer to you - almost compulsively. (And no, a Starbucks gift card or 15% off of their next purchase won’t do it. It’s even sort of “corrupt.” But, more on that later!) We’ll also go public with our ideal client criteria on Facebook. Until then, let’s keep hustling. Our ten days together is now 20% complete. Before I go, here’s one additional video for some referral inspiration.

Day  3:    Reward  &  Remind

This book, this 10-day challenge is meant to build your bottom line, but also to (through action) commit you to the (simple) things that actually make a difference in your business. No more hype, hogwash or bright shiny objects. ONLY that which really, truly works to increase influence and income. Only that which has always worked. I’ve done this 10-day challenge with my mastermind members every year. By day 3, the testimonials are pouring in. One woman wrote in after day ONE and announced that she closed THREE deals before she made it to the end of the 34 names on her list. Another wrote in to report she had secured two new referrals on Day TWO. So, let’s keep hustling this challenge, shall we?? Yesterday, we talked about asking for the referral. Today, we’ll finish that process (REWARDING the referral) and move on to rolling out a welcome mat for our ideal clients on my favorite social media platform: Facebook! (But feel free to substitute whatever platform your specific clients hang out on.)

Let’s dig in. I’ll assume that you probably think you already reward referrals. Perhaps you send a Starbucks gift card if a particular referral turns into a client. Or maybe you give 15% off the referrers next product or service if the person they refer turns into a client. There are many problems with this “Referring As Usual” protocol. First, people don’t actually REFER to get a kickback. As my coach says, “It’s corrupt.” (I’m paraphrasing, but I know he wouldn’t mind!) “It’s like saying - Your referral gave me some money, and so I want to give you back some money - not all of it, but some of it - as a thank you!” You see, your people aren’t referring in hopes that their friend will give you some money. They’re referring in hopes that you can make a difference in the life, weight, business, or marriage of a friend. They want to make a difference. We all do. I have three main referral sources for my business. Nearly ALL of my private clients have come from one of these three people / organizations for almost two years now. And they do it because they want to make a difference. Just last week, one of my favorite past clients emailed me about referring some of her friends to me. I didn’t promise a gift

card or a percentage or anything else. I promised to take care of that person she was referring in a way that compelled her friend to thank her for the introduction. Of course, I will ALWAYS reward the referrer, but we’ll get to that. Next, there are too many IFs in the typical referral system and this misses the point. Most people THANK and REWARD ONLY those referrals that turn into clients. If you REALLY want MORE referrals, acknowledge and thank EACH and every referral. You are thanking your referral source - NOT for the money coming into your account - but for their confidence in you and in your business, regardless of whether that person turns into a client or not. You reward the referral itself. Immediately. Generously. So, let’s look backwards and reward those people who have referred to us in the past. Pick up to three people who have referred business to you. Decide what you’d like to send them. Perhaps you want to send them a box of macaroons, a bouquet of flowers or even surprise them with a catered lunch. The “gift” is up to you. But, the message you send along with it should go a little something like this,

“Michelle, I know this gift comes out of the blue, but it’s actually a thank you. You are a huge supporter of my business, and I don’t adequately express my gratitude nearly as often as I should. So, thank you. Thank you for the referrals you send my way. Thank you for the confidence you have in me and my firm. Thank you for being an integral part of my growth this past year.” That’s it. REWARD referral sources. As an aside, you do need to develop an actual referral SYSTEM for your business. That is too much to go into for our ten day challenge, but if you want my report on building a referral-only practice or business, email me at michelle@bmichellepippin.com and I’ll email it over to you without any obligation. The second part of the Day THREE challenge requires that we get really clear and go really public reminding your sphere of influence who you’re looking to serve. So, who makes an ideal client for you? For one of my recent programs, it was a corporate executive who is in or facing early retirement and looking to go from corporate to consultant. Who is ideal for you?

A recently divorced woman trying to lose weight? A school teacher looking for a business opportunity to pursue during the summer? A middle school child struggling in school? BE SPECIFIC. Because today, we’ll also declare who you’re looking to serve on the public stage of Facebook, or your social media platform of choice. This one little strategy is exactly how I launched a very lucrative Corporate to Consultant package. I simply posted it on Facebook. This is exactly what I said, “I’m looking for EIGHT corporate executives who have either been laid off or are facing early retirement and are looking to take their corporate expertise and turn it into a successful consulting practice!” And, VOILA! I had tons of referrals.... and even some letters of interest sort of VYING to be one of the eight. This is because I was specific... and I reminded my market who I wanted to help. I encourage you to do the same today. Identify what would make an IDEAL referral

for you this week. Be as specific as you can. (If you are trying to appeal to everyone, you are reaching NO ONE.) Use a number - as I did. Let the world know what you are looking for. Roll out the welcome mat for this specific person. And then, let me know the results! That’s day THREE. We’ll give some serious thought to our own referral system. We’ll THANK and REWARD those who have so much confidence in us or our business that they’d REFER their friends into our “care”. And, then... we’ll go public, REMINDing -- or calling out for the first time -- exactly who we’re looking to serve today. That’s today’s two-part challenge: REWARD and REMIND. IMPORTANT NOTE: Before we sign off for today, I want to draw your attention back to day ONE’s challenge. Remember when we reconnected with 50 people who would make great clients or patients or customers for us? Well, don’t just leave the conversation in the “relational” zone. Don’t shy away from REMINDing them how you can serve them. The words, “I can help you with that.” are the best, most powerful words your market can hear from you.

So, don’t shy away from them. Here are some ways to turn those 50 relational check ins into cha-chings: “I remember we last spoke about ___<<insert problem you solve>> _________. I can help you with that. If you’d like to discuss this in more detail, let’s set up a time to chat.” OR “Are you still feeling hassled by ___<<insert problem>>___? You know I can help you with that. Let’s set up a time to talk about what that would entail.” Something simple and direct.

Day  4:  Give  Yourself  An  Unfair  Advantage  Over  Your  Competitors

We’re nearly half way there, and we are just now going to uncover the simple secret that will allow you to compete -- and win -- no matter who or what you compete with for new clients. Waiting until now to give you a day “off” from taking massive, public action is deliberate. What I am detailing for you in today’s challenge is foundational to all of your future marketing and selling strategies. Without today’s assignment, you will never be as profitable as you deserve to be. But, I felt it was important to START with massive action... because most business books begin with the prep work, the fun stuff, and -- frankly -- most books aren’t always read to the end. So, I needed to start with action. Now it’s time for some reminiscing and some fun and some “research.” Today’s assignment, should you choose to do it, will give you an unfair advantage over your competitors. Here it is:

Slow down, catch up, and get the STORY behind your ideal clients, patients or customers. Because she who knows her market MOST intimately, wins. But only every time. You’ve made your prospect list, and contacted them. You’ve asked for referrals, and know how to reward them. You’ve announced (once) who you are looking for on Facebook and reminded a few people of exactly how you can help them. Now, we’re going into some territory that’s a bit deeper, but not near as tough as tomorrow’s assignment. So enjoy today. Obviously, you want to catch up if you haven’t done so already. You want to be sure to follow up with those people who have responded to you. You want to remind them that you can help them and how.

Moving on. I firmly believe that the #1 marketing / sales tool we have and the ONLY one we can’t do without is the conversation! Yet, too often, we’re moving so fast, we gloss over conversations and move on. If we were to slow down and dive DEEP into each conversation, we’d have more business. This isn’t about connecting with people or winning them over or anything else. When you slow down long enough to stay in conversation, you learn how to sell to that person, what their story is, why they would or should buy, and what would hold them back. So, please continue on your list of 50 made on Day ONE. How many real conversations - with prospects - have you had since this ten day challenge? Make a note. Your income and your sales conversations are intimately linked. (Learn more about the power of the conversation at this post.

Back to today’s challenge. Nothing SELLS like a (true) STORY. Forget benefits and features, structure and protocol. STORIES sell. So, let’s get the story behind one or MORE (hopefully more) of your biggest fans, most excited clients, past and/or present. We don’t just want a simple testimonial... ESPECIALLY if it’s lukewarm and talks about what a great person you are, how good it was to work with you. (Those testimonials are space fillers. Your next potential clients want to hear MORE!) We want the STORY. So, find your biggest, happiest-to-have-done-business-with-you fan or fans. No more than 6. No less than 3. Somehow get in contact with them - email, phone, in person are all fine - and let them know that you want to dig deeper into their experience. So, here is what we want to know: Where was this person when they found your business or your product? What situation were they in?

What were they experiencing when they decided that YES, they’d try your product or service? What were they hoping for? What were their initial hesitations to buying? What was their initial experience with what you sell? What were they most surprised by? What result or results did they achieve by working with you? You should use this information in two ways. First, you should turn this information into a patient story, a member spotlight, or a detailed testimonial. But, more importantly, you should begin getting to know all of your best clients a bit better. Knowing your market intimately is THE key to higher profits. Additional reading on exactly what you should know about your market can be found here.

But that’s it for today. Catch up. And have these RAVING FAN conversations. We’ll use them tomorrow... far beyond the simple, post on my website type of use. That’s the good news. The bad news is that we’ll also - tomorrow - have to connect with people who chose NOT to buy from or work with us. THEY are a wealth of information, which is what I found after announcing my 2nd intensive retreat for women entrepreneurs. More on that story tomorrow... what I learned from it and how it built my income!

Day  5:  Highs  &  Nos

I hope you ended yesterday - day four of our challenge - on a high. You should have... interviewing and learning more about our most excited clients is not just an ego boost, it’s also a spotlight on what we do best, and who we serve best. And this exercise should provide far more than just some great fodder for your website! Allow me to detail just a few of the SIDE BENEFITS of getting a really clear, really deep testimonial like you did yesterday. 1. You are learning gobs of information you can and should be using to attract and engage new clients. So, keep it fresh. Pick out the three most powerful statements they made. Really think about where they were when you “found” them and where they are now. Who else wants to make that transformation? How can you incorporate this into your social media strategy and language? How can you use this as part of your sales process?

2. You’re also reminding these clients of how much they enjoyed working with you... and why! You’re back - squarely - on their radar! And, if I were a betting woman, I’d bet you’ll soon see a referral or two come out of just that testimonial conversation. 3. You’ll also, of course, put this information on your website... or post it as a note on Facebook... or find a way to include it in your marketing materials. You’ll find a way to highlight the kind of work you do. Perhaps these new testimonials make it into the next speech you give, or the next email you send. Always look for ways to tell stories like the one you dove into yesterday with your excited client! Stories SELL. Now, onto the challenge of the day, which I admit maybe the toughest one to do... because it’s uncomfortable and a bit awkward. However, if you are BOLD enough to do it, please let me know what you find.

The CHALLENGE and today’s assignment is to go back to the NO. Go back to NO LESS than THREE people who have “rejected” your products or the opportunity to buy from you. (By the way, if you don’t have AT LEAST three NOs to go to, you are NOT in enough selling conversations.) You’ll want to have no hidden agenda or ulterior motive. You are NOT trying to win them over or any such thing. You want to ask them for candid feedback. Email will be fine. Start with something like this: “Michelle, About a month ago, we had a conversation about adding life insurance through my company to your existing financial plan and you decided against it. I am not emailing to get you to change your mind, but to ask for your feedback. I am actively growing my business through tough conversations like this one, and I’d love to know any CANDID thoughts you have about our conversations, my proposal, or

anything else you’d like to comment on. Nothing you say will offend me. As a professional, I’m studying both my excited clients and those that “got away” to see what I can learn to do better! Thanks so much! Summer” I had to do this about 3 1/2 years ago, and it was difficult at best. I had successfully filled to capacity my first ever weekend retreat. And it was amazing. So, I planned another. BUT, it wasn’t filling... and I was getting nervous. WHAT was going on? To be sure, planning, holding and FILLING your own retreat or intensive is a “Master Accomplishment” for a coach or consultant. I was on a HIGH.... I had succeeded where so many people don’t. So, why was #2 so hard? At that point, I had already received a good 7 or 8 firm NOs. So, I went back to them and asked them something similar to what is detailed in the sample email above. After all, Marketing and Sales in business

is about TESTing.... experimenting.... doing more of what works, changing what doesn’t... a bit like a science lab of sorts. So, I needed more data. Why had my first retreat filled quickly and this one was like selling water to a fish? The information I received was priceless. I had - without noticing - done something very differently with retreat #2, and I had to go back to the basics of my sales process to fix it. I made two other very specific changes based on the feedback of my NO’s.... and as a result, the retreat that wouldn't sell ALSO filled to capacity... and was far more profitable than the first. (Although that first group was unbelievable... and I’ll NEVER forget them!) Since that time, I’ve held 8 three-day intensives with very small groups of business owners.... and will soon begin planning #9. These “retreats” are actually six-month programs and are absolute game changers for those who attend. But, had I not gone back and collected valuable information from my “NOs” I may have stopped offering them entirely.

So, that’s today’s assignment. It’s a bit awkward, yes... but don’t you WANT to know why an ideal client would either disappear on you or reject your proposal? Don’t you get curious about what went wrong? Not morbidly curious, but curious about what you could have done or said differently? I know that I do. I think often about the “should-be clients” who got away. I think of them when I see their marketing struggling. I think of them when I see them close their doors and join someone else’s firm. I think of them and wish that I could have helped them. I’m sure you’re the same... not just thinking about the money you didn’t collect, but the changes that weren’t made, the help you weren’t contracted to provide. But NOs heard from someone who would have been an ideal client or patient for you deserve your attention. Today, the assignment is to go back to that NO you dreaded hearing and find out what’s behind it. What can you learn? What could you change? Really dig and try not to

settle for canned or polite answers, because they will not serve you. Always affirm that you are not trying to win them over as a client. Let them know that you are working on your business and you covet their absolute honesty. Assure them that you will not take offense and that you will keep their comments completely confidential. Let them know that their honest feedback would be a gift to you. Please know that you will have to reach out to several NOs before you get one that will give you truly honest feedback. MOST will avoid you. We don’t like having to say NO. Stay with it, and get the answers you came for. We’re at the halfway mark. Don’t forget to keep a log of some sort regarding what’s working well for you... which days led to the best results for you. THESE things should become part of your own marketing and sales system. You’ll want to do them over and over again!

Day  6:  The  Cornerstone  of  Your  Most  Profitable  Marketing  Plan  

We’re over half way through our 10-Day Bottom Line Challenge and only now are we ready to dive into one of the top “secrets” I can share with you about business success. This is about your bottom line today and your ultimate financial success tomorrow. The hard truth is that it’s a bit utopian to think that if you serve the best scone, offer the best in dentistry, provide the best coaching or do incredible hair, your bottom line (& success) will continue to build. That’d be nice of course... it’s just not true. The entrepreneurial battlefield is littered with the corpses of businesses that offered something truly remarkable. The problem is, you’d only KNOW what they offered was remarkable if you bought it in the first place. So, regardless of what industry you’re in or how remarkable you are, we have to - FIRST - generate sales in order to increase our income.

This isn’t an excuse for shoddy work, of course. I say this to remind us all of what this challenge is about: The marketing and sales engine of your business.... because THAT is what your bottom line expands or shrinks in direct relation to. AND, this hard truth is Good News because you can create marketing, sales and financial success for yourself by following my (admittedly over-simplified) two step formula: Step one: Find out what works. Do more of it. (“What works” is defined as what brings in more clients!) Step two: Acknowledge what is NOT working. Do less or NONE of it. (Not working is defined as something that is NOT bringing in more clients.) Mediocre businesses with paltry incomes are those absent of decision. So, your challenge today is to decide - and commit

- to two things regarding your business. ONE thing you will do more of. ONE thing you can QUIT doing. That’s it. Spend NO LESS than thirty minutes on this one. Take out your calendar and look back over the past SIX MONTHS of business appointments / activities. Make a list of all you’ve been doing to generate new clients or customers. And then, beside EACH activity - from networking groups (list them individually) to blogging to Facebooking to direct mail pieces to cold calling to coffee meetings to commercials - write down the number of new clients or sales you’ve added to your business as a direct result. Where do most of your sales come from? How can you do MORE of that? Where do you see a bunch of goose eggs? Listen, if you’re doing something consistently to build your business and it’s netting you NOTHING, you can feel okay

quitting that activity! If you needed permission, there you go... it’s yours: Quit! So, what will you DECIDE and COMMIT to doing more of? And what will you quit or do less of? If you have ANY hesitation regarding today’s challenge, EMAIL me with details so I can help you with this!

 

Day  7:  My  Top  Client  Getting  Strategy  Yesterday, we decided what we’ll do more (& less) of, in order to create our own “ultimate” marketing plan! Now, I want to share with you my own TOP client - getting (and bottom line building) strategy... something that brings clients to me in groups, builds my own profile, fuels my social networking platforms and so much more: speaking. IF YOU DONT CONSIDER YOURSELF A SPEAKER, DON’T SKIP DAY 7! Anyone can (and should) be speaking to build their bottom line, whether they sell massages, insurance, jewelry, advertising or legal services. My daughter -- at age 10 -- used this technique to drum up business (& cash) for her “Relaxing Day” traveling salon. At the time, she gave shoulder and foot massages to my husband and me, my parents, and my sister-in-law. (And, at ten years old, she was actually quite good!) Five years ago, when she started this “business,” she came into the main room and said she had a presentation for us. What she delivered was an entertaining sales presentation complete with an interactive call to action (where we were able to draw a discount card from the box and

sign up on the spot for our next massage.) Seriously... and she thought of all of this herself! Needless to say, I was thoroughly impressed. NOT BAD, Shelbey! You should know that prior to that night in our main room, her little Relaxing Day business was about 4 months old and -- frankly -- had all but become a fond memory. The “phase” had nearly fizzled out.... but, evidently, she wanted cash. So she set up her own show to drum up clients. All of us can (& should) do the same! NO special speaking skills needed - beyond an ability and willingness to speak authentically to an audience. Trust me. Conversational speaking is fine... and is often a welcome breath of fresh air when compared to the routine, rehearsed, canned presentations of most people who call themselves speakers. Speaking immediately positions you as the expert, allows you to raise your own profile and encourages your ideal clients to raise their hands to work with you or get more information. Now, it’s obvious how the “expert” market can do this - although I think that MOST speakers even get this wrong. (Which is why I’ve expanding my “Monetize Your Message”

report into an entire $peaking: The Busine$$ bootcamp program!) But, what about the chiropractor, lawyer, salon owner, insurance agent or you? A chiropractor I know continues to give monthly health screenings and presentations around his office location - to everyone from local Kiwanis clubs to PTA organizations. His practice can count on an increase of about 10 new clients a month from this form of “advertising” alone. A law firm that represents women-only in divorce proceedings gives a monthly presentation: What Women Should Know about Divorce. They advertise this presentation each and every month and claim that a large majority of their clients come from these “talks”. A WOW member in Maryland does this as well, but for men going through divorce and custody issues. A salon owner offers celebrity styling tips presentations to local church groups and women’s groups - a topic that is met with great excitement - and can count on 3-4 new clients a month using this technique alone. An insurance agent offers “What Every Home Owner Should Know, but Your Agent is Afraid to Tell You” presentations, advertised through

various banks in their area. She generates about 2 new clients each time she speaks. If you have ANY questions about how YOU could use speaking to build your bottom-line or what you’d speak on, don’t hesitate to post it in our private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/planetwow. Your business is NOT different, and speaking CAN be used (by you) to drum up business & cash. But how? Well, you should know that - on any given day - there are probably no less than 25 active organizations in your area that need a presentation for their members. Rotary clubs, service organizations, association meetings and networking groups are a great place to start! Each of these groups need speakers for their weekly or monthly meetings. So, your challenge today is to find (or CREATE) a place to speak in the next month. IF you take me up on this challenge, email me and I’ll shoot you over the TWO things you MUST do in EVERY presentation in order to make it your top client-getting strategy EVER.

Day  8:  Scooping  Up  the  Piles  of  Profit  You’ve  Left  on  the  Table WOW! We only have 3 days left in this Bottom Line Challenge. We’ve developed a hit list, learned how to get and reward referrals, how to remind people how we can help them. We’ve developed a deep dive profile of at least three of our best clients, and even had the courage to go back to our NO’s and mine them for information we can use. We’ve identified one marketing strategy we’ll quit and one we’ll do more of... and we’ve identified where we should be speaking to get more clients. Now, on day 8, it’s time to simply stoop down and pick up the money we’ve forgotten about in our business, and that pile of profit is located in your computer. So, today’s challenge is to make a date with your email in-box to see exactly how much business is waiting for you there. To me - especially in the “expert” arena of coaches, consultants, authors and speakers - I find an almost comical preoccupation with list size and numbers that don’t really mean much. People proudly rattle off the number of

people on their email list, how many friends they have on Facebook and followers they have on twitter, how many continents they’ve spoken on or how many people have seen them speak over their lifetime. It’s not that these numbers don’t matter at all, it’s just that they don’t matter AS MUCH as people want to believe. These numbers can deposit far more into your ego account than your bank account... unless you’re willing and able to effectively mine them for business. (And you can do that with any size list.) Listen, I’ve worked with people and organizations with large, impressive lists as well as people without. I was SHOCKED to see how LITTLE difference a super large list really made. Shocked. The sales process was the same. The required conversations to make the sales were the same. Don’t get me wrong, we should always focus on expanding our reach and getting more people “under our tent” professionally. (This ten-day challenge began as an opt-in that was a deliberate attempt to build my own list.) But, we don’t want to put all of our focus there.

More often than not - and by that I mean, in EVERY case I’ve ever known - there is business waiting for you to stoop down and pick up in your humble little email box. So, your challenge today is to mine your email box for profit you’ve not yet collected, clients you’ve not yet served. This challenge is one posed to me by my own coach years ago, and it’s become a habit that I perform each and every quarter. I sit down with a glass of wine and my laptop and put on some good music. This sets a leisurely pace.... which is important, because the reason so much business is waiting for us in our email boxes in the first place is because we’ve rushed through too much on too many days. In our quest to get more done, we often miss things.... things like clients on the verge of saying yes. Things like prospects asking the exact right questions. Things like conversations from past clients who need us to engage with them again. So, here’s the assignment: Carve out no less than 90 minutes and sit down with your computer. Go back one year from today and begin leisurely going through your email in-box. You’ll be surprised what you uncover.

People asking questions about your product or services that you barely acknowledged or failed to follow up with. Referrals or introductions that you didn’t actively pursue. Past clients or connections that you could re-engage. Clients that haven’t ordered in way too long. We all get busy... and when we’re busy we’re moving too fast to truly pay attention to this stuff. That’s why we owe it to our businesses to slow down and see what we’ve missed. So, do that today. Respond to old emails, re-connect with past clients or referral sources, stay relational and conversational in every email you send out, and then: TELL ME ON TWITTER (http://twitter.com/michellepippin) how much business you found in YOUR email box! I’m completely confident in - and rooting for - your WILD success... and we have only two more days to go. Let’s finish strong.

Day  9:  Fortune  Favors  the  Bold

Crazy, unreasonable - but PREDICTABLE- success came from yesterday’s challenge. Predictable because that strategy works every time - if you do it. When we slow down, ignore the HYPE and get into the ART of conversational, relational marketing, it. just. works. (But only every time.) Write it down. Weave Day 8’s assignment throughout the fabric of your existing marketing plan. Do it often. Now, on to day NINE. This is an unstructured, random, crazy - but BOLD - challenge and I hope you’ll take the challenge to heart. Business success is built fastest when you are consistent, deliberate and BOLD. So, your challenge today is to answer this question: What is the BOLDEST thing I can do to grow my business - today? Maybe it’s setting aside the entire day to make sales calls... or (publicly) declaring a date for your first conference.

Maybe it’s not shutting your eyes tonight before you book ten home parties. Maybe it’s shutting your doors and unplugging your phone to package that product or service idea you’ve been sitting on for too long. Maybe it’s launching that podcast, writing that book, or approaching the media for your ten minutes of fame. The answer will be different for each of us, but let’s carve out a few moments of outrageous courage today... and use them for our business. What’s the BOLDEST thing YOU’LL do TODAY to move your business forward and your income UP?

Day  10:  Inching  Closer  to  the  YES Here we are at the end of our initial ten days together... focused on building your bottom line. I sincerely hope you’ve not only created new clients or reactivated old ones, but also -- in your “doing” -- made note of the simplest steps you took that created increase for you in your business. It’s simplicity that works. It’s that which is simple that gets done. It’s the simplest strategies, the most direct, that build fabulously successful businesses. And we’re not done just yet. While yesterday I asked you to go big and bold, today, I want to focus on baby steps. Today’s challenge will allow those currently in your sales funnel -- but yet undecided -- to take center stage. These are prospects who have received your proposal and are “thinking it over.” These are NOT those who you HOPE to have a sales conversation with. Today’s focus is on those people in your funnel who have been in a sales conversation with you, but are a “maybe.” They may be starting to respond to your inquiries more slowly. They may be “thinking it over” or “talking to their spouse.” Either way, they weren’t an immediate yes, but you still have high hopes for how you can serve them. And you’re hoping they write you

a check become an official client, patient or customer. There’s a delicate tipping point in every sales funnel at which a would-be client begins to lean more towards “NO” than yes. As business owners, we do tend to “feel” their lean. This isn’t simple paranoia. This is experience. We know how prospects act when they’re leaning towards a YES. And we know how they respond when they’re talking themselves out of a YES. We feel that tipping point going the “wrong way.” We read it in non-committal email responses. We feel it when a prospect starts “disappearing” on us. We sense it in a prospect’s delays, or busy-ness, or excuses. And today’s challenge is all about grabbing those leaning prospects by the wrist -- just before they fall off your radar -- and inching them closer to the YES. This is a long introduction because today’s assignment COULD be misused and would DECREASE your bottom line if used on a prospect that was JUST GETTING READY to say YES. You have to know the difference in a prospect’s lean. You have to know your sales funnel. You have to use this assignment ONLY on those who are just about to slip off your

radar. And ONLY on those who are just about to slip off your radar. With no further ado, here’s your last assignment: I want you to ask these “leaning prospects” a simple question, “What would it take to begin this work together?” Some ideal prospects simply need to be “baby stepped” into a working relationship with you. They need to “ease” into it. And who can blame them? Most of us know what it is like to “pitch” to a prospect who has been victimized and taken advantage of by a competitor or someone else in our industry. Their fingers have been burned and bruised by saying YES too quickly. And each time this happens, they lose confidence in their decision-making ability. They hesitate and stall and finally... stop responding. They need you to nurture them... to inch them into a space where they can be 100% confident in saying yes to you. Maybe you offer a legal service that you’ve packaged at a certain rate. Consider saying, “Hey. I know I can help you with what we discussed, but I haven’t heard back from you.

I’d love to know what would make you confident beginning this work with me. Maybe we could start with an initial consultation to get your most poignant questions answered?” (This initial consult should be a lower fee than the full package... something that eases them into full relationship. Perhaps you do personal training and you’ve got a lot of prospects that expressed interest, but didn’t buy. There’s no shame in simply asking, “What can I offer that will make this an easy YES for you?” Maybe you’ll be asked to train in their home and not in a gym. Maybe they’d want a group program? Maybe they’ll ask you to focus first on nutrition, then on the training. Who knows? The point is to ask. The way this strategy is applied will be different depending on your business, your industry and how flexible you are with your “rules” of engagement. I do NOT offer this strategy to you as a way of being willy- nilly in how you “do” business. In fact, acquiescing to every would-be client will be counter-productive. For instance, I was recently approached by an author who first said YES.... then said, YES, but not starting for three months and finally asked me to give him a “by the hour” rate.

Well, I don’t have a by the hour rate. In fact, I haven’t worked “by the hour” since I was waiting tables at The Farmhouse Restaurant in Blacksburg, Virginia. And I’m not about to re-arrange my entire billing system, the entire way I work to accommodate a client. NOTE: In full disclosure, if I were new in business and desperate for my first few clients, I probably would have quoted him an hourly rate. But, this isn’t my first rodeo. I’m not desperate for a new client. And while I REALLY love his work and would love to work with him, I’m not about to re-work my own business to bring him on as a client. Instead, I gave him another option... something that was less of an investment, but still packaged to at least give him a way to step into the full consulting work that he needs. At the time this book is being published, I don’t know his response. However, to simplify today’s assignment: I want you to create that “ease into business with me” offer. Something for those prospects slipping off of your radar. You’ve already met with them. You’ve taken the time to get to know them. You know how you can serve them. So, don’t just let them slip away. Invite them to take a less committed, baby-stepped option into your world.

Conclusion:  Putting  It  All  Together So, there you have it. Ten Days to a Bigger Bottom Line. If you followed this program as prescribed... not just reading, but taking action, you’ve no doubt seen an increase to your business. New clients. Re-activated patients. New referrals. More YESes. How can I say this with such confidence? Because business success (defined by profit increase) is predictable and SIMPLE. Because success is more strategy than secret, despite the very popular movie of the same name. All of this is something to celebrate, indeed. But, don’t just pocket the cash. Make a note of what worked BEST for you and weave those strategies into the very fabric of your business. Make them part of how you show up in the business world. Make them a regular part of your marketing plan. Because the simplest strategies -- the most profitable ones -- are often forgotten in our fast paced world of instant communication and bright shiny objects. If you enjoyed this book, I’d love to hear from you. Please join me -- even as a free member -- in the Practical Profits mastermind by visiting our website: www.womenwhowow.com What you’ll find there is a group of driven business owners who are absolutely committed to building businesses with passion, profit and pause. (TIME OFF!)

Did  you  enjoy  this  book?   I want to thank you for purchasing and reading this book. I truly hope you not only read it, but took action, stayed with me for ten days.... and got a lot out of it. Can I ask a quick favor though? If you enjoyed this book I would really appreciate it if you could leave me a positive review on Amazon. I love getting feedback from my customers and reviews on Amazon really do make a difference. I read all my reviews and would really appreciate your thoughts. Thanks so much. b. michelle pippin p.s. You can click here to go directly to the book on Amazon and leave your review.