8 ways i’m exploring selling in 2023
Selling. The very word makes some of my clients physically recoil. It can seem so "distasteful”, so “demanding”, so “unaligned.”
The way I consider selling is this:
Selling is giving our amazing customers and clients a chance to consider what they might want to buy from us, and allow them to choose the ideal offer when it lands at the perfect time.
A bit more of my own background: since having my third baby, my income is evolving from being an equal split between teaching and coaching (with singing a close third) to coaching, mentoring, events and all that encompasses my business becoming my main source of income. Honestly? It’s scary. It’s also exciting!
With this in mind I’ve had to start to consider planning more long-term, including financial goals that I really commit to (because historically I’ve been able to make up the shortfall from another area, whereas now I’m all in on making my financial goals sing!)
And so I’ve been reflecting on those things that have worked since I started this business in 2018 (gosh times have changed since then), and those areas in which I wish to be a bit more brave.
Marketing has been a major source of discussion with my Simplicity Unlocked clients in every Tuesday’s call: a key message has been leading with our energy and enthusiasm in mind - that if we love what we’re doing the sales will feel far easier and simpler - we’ll have unlocked our joy for it!
And that’s great - but we also need to be curious about how we can get our sales in a way that feels great - and has good strategy.
Selling is a hell of a lot simpler when we use our online facility to replicate the activities that make us human in the real world online.
I can - hand on heart - say that only once did I experiment with “early bird bonuses” and it made me feel a bit crap. Other than that, I’ve been really enjoying the ways I’ve been selling, and thought I’d share with you now:
1. my (formerly twice) weekly newsletters
Back when I started my business in 2016, the way to find your dream clients was - in my instance at least - Instagram. I was writing mini blogs, sharing them on Instagram and Selfish Mother (remember that?). I remember occasional mentions of Mailchimp, but that was about it. It wasn’t until 2019 that I started experimenting with writing newsletters, and it was like coming home. Sharing advice, my successes and failures, resources and a whole lot more has felt like such a treat, and I am so grateful you let me into your inbox for free.
2. Instagram and Facebook
Yep, I’m still using the former. I’m enjoying the conversations in my DMs and stories a hell of a lot more than posts, though the spontaneity of a spoken reel or the chance to share my thoughts via a poem still appeals. I enjoy the conversations I have with potential clients (and those who’ll never be clients, but who are brilliant), and find conversations about working together so natural in this medium. As for Facebook - well, the page is worse than useless, but I’m experimenting with staying active in my 500-strong group, and from it have had three new clients since becoming more active last month.
(For information, and nothing to do with selling, I’ve been using a private Facebook group for my Simplicity Unlocked community but the lack of notifications is irritating, and I’m now experimenting with Heartbeat, which seems epic!)
3. Testimonials
I am really good at sharing testimonials on Instagram stories, and specific snippets on sales pages. This year I want to set up a page dedicated to testimonials: my clients are so generous with their kind and honest words and they speak for themselves. I think a page like this could prove really valuable.
4. Podcasts
In 2018 I started a brilliant podcast called Power of Mum: The Podcast. I had amazing guests on it from Ruth Kudzi to Steph Douglas to Suzy Reading. You can listen to it wherever you find your podcasts - here’s the link from Apple. I stopped it a few years ago, and I wish I hadn’t. I haven’t yet decided when exactly to start it again, but it’s on the 2023 list - it brought so many people into my world and in addition gave me credibility by association. I also have “go on other people’s podcasts to grow my audience” on one of my Trello lists. If I’m honest I love talking, and so this is a form of selling that comes extremely naturally to me!
5. Direct recommendations (or “Word of Mouth”)
In building my community I’ve built my own team of cheerleaders, who are more than happy to recommend me if I’m a good fit for their friends or colleagues. This year I’m going to be more direct about asking people to share “me” if I think there’s a good fit.
6. SEO
The brilliant Aime Cox-Tennant, founder of Studio Cotton and this amazing Studio Cotton clubhouse community (chatroom about all things website etc) recently said this to me about SEO, and I found myself fervently nodding along…
"My theory as to why most small business owners don't find website management/optimisation sexy is because there's no instant gratification. There's no followers or likes or comments. There's no subscriber count or open rate and click through rate. SEO activities can take days, weeks or months to pay off, and it's pretty much impossible to attribute any success to a single web design choice. One way to try and 'get in' with your website is to make checking your stats at least a weekly activity - or even daily if you're a bit obsessive like I am…"
Aime Cox-Tennant
I am determined to start concentrating on SEO again - it is soooo satisfying when you see the analytics change and people finding you. I know that this is not a lead-in for a “quick” sale, but that’s fine. I want people who work with me to feel like they know me, and my website is part of that and proving my credibility.
7. Pinterest
Essentially this is pretty SEO. Read all the above I said about my website. I have a feeling this will end up dropping to the list of priorities. I will definitely use Rachel Waring’s advice to help me when I get going with it again. Notice I’ve not attributed a date to starting this… how committed am I to it? I’d say a solid 7/10 at the moment…
8. Opt-ins
A good opt-in is worth its weight in gold. I’ve experimented with offering my entire free resource library, with a quiz, with a PDF. At the moment I’m working on a beaut of a new lead-magnet which I hope to pop everywhere I’m online to start selling to new lovely potential clients (and if they don’t work with me I hope they still enjoy it). Again, I’ll keep you posted on this: I’ve also got ideas to create an “everything” page so I’m not sure exactly my direction. I know I love creating resources (once a teacher, always a teacher) and giving stuff away for free is a great form of sales.
Let me know your thoughts on sales - if you’re struggling you’re not alone - it can be so tough - but know that finding the right energy and enthusiasm about what you're selling is the first step; then the right mechanism to do it is where the playfulness and exploration comes in.
I really hope you’ve found this useful: it’s free to share so if you like it please do so (see points 3 and 5..)
ways we can work together
My ongoing group coaching and mentoring programme, Simplicity Unlocked.
Want to book a free discovery call to see if we'd be a good fit? [CLICK HERE]
who I am
I'm Laura Oldfield and I coach, mentor, teach music, write, sing and help others for a living. A combination of delight, nosiness, values, creative flutters in my chest when I speak to them and gratitude drive my approach. I am never interested in just helping with one aspect - I coach all the parts of your beautifully complicated, multi-faceted self.
I am happiest when coaching creative small business owners (at whatever stage in their journey), and have a particular interest in creativity, finding space in busy lives, cyclical and seasonal living and motherhood.
When I'm not coaching I'm teaching music (in the classroom or 121), singing professionally (think film music, cold churches and The Albert Hall vibe), gardening, eating, drinking flat whites, sitting on the sofa reading/ watching Midsomer Murders, writing poetry, making candles and being with my 3 kids and husband.
With love,
Laura x
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