business development strategies

Is there a right time to jump ship on your dreams?

I am a quitter.  

In my official bio, it says that I have started and run 7 businesses, all of which have made money.  Everyone celebrates that.  What no one ever asks is, “What happened to the other 6?”

I quit them.  

Did you have an audible gasp?  Amy Walker… a quitter?  Have I lost your respect for life?  

The truth is, all of those businesses were opportunities that came into my life for a season.  They trained me, prepared me and got me ready for the next opportunity that came my way.  

Some people find an opportunity, it is a perfect fit for them, and they stay for life.  Others bounce around unsuccessfully and then find the one.  I just consistently upgraded my experience.  Every business was more successful than the last.

As someone who has made that change several times.  Let me share with you the do’s and don’ts of when to get out of your current business and into a new one.

Don’t: Don’t change businesses because the new one seems easier.  Every business had hard parts, they just show up in different places.  When you are constantly looking for something easier, you never learn to grow through the hard parts.  And when it gets hard, you are on your way out.  It doesn’t give you the time you need to build traction and make it work.

Don’t: Don’t leave because you are feeling emotional.  Anger, disappointment, hurt feelings, embarrassment, overwhelm, frustration… I’ve felt them all and in all of my businesses. I haven’t found an emotion free business yet.  So just because things are looking bad at the moment, doesn’t mean you need to change course.  Instead address the current situation so you can have clarity.

Don’t:  Don’t leave too soon.  There is a lesson and a skill to learn in every business.  If you leave before you master it, those areas of weakness and ignorance will follow you into your next venture.

Don’t: Don’t stay out of obligation. You staying in a business just because you feel like you have to, really isn’t helpful to anyone! If you heart really isn’t in it, let’s be honest, neither is your performance.

Do: Do make a change if you find something that is MORE in line with your long term goals and objectives. Even though my business has changed, my goals really haven’t.  I look at it as going to the same destination, but upgrading my vehicle.  I’ve always done the best I could with what I had available to me.  But when something was legitimately a better fit for my talents and desires, I took it.

Do: Follow inspiration. Every one of my career moves has felt very inspired.  The inspiration was clear.  Opportunities and people showed up at the right moment to help me find the next step. And everything came together beautifully.  

Do: Take your time and think seriously about the change.  These decisions should never be hasty.  I can honestly say I have never regretted one of my business changes. They were never made in the heat of the moment. They were each planned for and well thought out.

Do: If you are going to leave behind your current business and pursue another venture, create we well thought out exit strategy.  Are you going to hire out fulfillment of the current business and just take yourself out of the day to day?  Can you sell parts of the business?  What obligations will you need to fulfill?

I do not believe that I am a quitter!  I have worked hard at every business I have been involved with.  I’ve made money in each, although some made more and others made less.  

If I had been unwilling to change, there is no way I would be where I am today.  Every opportunity was an important part of my journey.  And even though my vehicle has changed, the destination is still the same. To get more details visit here: http://amywalkerconsulting.com

executive business coach

Have you lost that loving feeling?

Remember the honeymoon phase in business?  Where you couldn’t sleep because you were so excited?  You would lie awake at night dreaming about success, freedom, and fortune.   Entrepreneurship held all of the keys to everything you dreamed of.

Until… you actually got to work on the business.  People said no.  Someone accused you of being dishonest.  Someone defaulted on their payments.  You had some months where you ran out of cash.  You realized that most of what you do to run a business is 100% outside of your comfort zone and you found yourself wanting to crawl under your desk with a blankie.  Or maybe you just got so into the day to day work that you have lost that passion for your business.

When the passion goes, one of three things needs to happen.  1. You work from discipline because this business really is the right option for you.  Check out my blog post “It’s Not about the Passion”  to learn more about why that is actually a strong option. 2. You’ve got to reconnect to your passion.  This will be the focus of today’s blog post. Or option 3. It’s time to quit.  If you think you might be in option 3, stay tuned for next week.  I’m going to let you know when it is time to jump ship and build a new one.

As I discuss in “It’s Not about the Passion“, passion can be a fickle friend.  But let’s be honest, it’s more fun to work when we have it!  I’ve gone through many seasons of working with Passion, working without passion, and reconnecting with passion and here is the formula that works best for me.

1. I reconnect with what brings me joy in life. Often times the passion for my business left because I stopped living a joyful life.  I got too focused on dollars and deadlines and stopped playing.  I’ll start taking walks again, paint, play my cello, go on dates with my hubs, have fun with my kids or do some yoga.  Whatever makes your soul feel happy, do it!
2. I release the failures or perceived failures. Often times the passion leaves because we experienced some sort of disappointment or failure. Maybe we missed a sales goal, got passed up for a speaking opportunity, had an angry client, or were just plain too scared to do the work that really needed to be done.  If you hold onto that story, it will effect how you show up in all areas of your business.  You’ve got to let it go!  Forgive yourself, forgive others, and just move on.
3. Reset your goals. Don’t set humongous goals that will be a huge stretch to reach.  If you’ve lost the passion, you are probably not doing much at the moment.  Set measurable goals to give you a path for re-entry into the world of the passionate.
4. Get to work. The return of your passion will not come until you create some movement.  Passion is a very high energy emotion and simply does not manifest in stagnant situations.  Go to a networking meeting.  Talk to some potential or past clients. Close some sales.  You’ve got to get to work to generate some results.
5. Experience the REWARD of feeling passionate again. I’ve come to learn that passion is 2 things. First it is the fuel that ignites the fire for embarking on a new journey.  And second it is the reward for living an above average life.  Couples that feel passionate about each other after 40 years of marriage are experiencing the reward for a lifetime of support, selflessness and commitment.  Business owners that feel passionate about their business after 2, 5, 10 or 25 years in business are experiencing the reward of constant recommitment, innovation, building strong systems, and solving every challenge that has come their way.

Even at it’s hardest, I’d still take this life I’ve built over any other option.  I don’t feel passionate every day.  I don’t expect to.  But if I notice I’m entering a season where passion is low for an extended period of time, this is the EXACT process I use to get back on track. For more details: http://amywalkerconsulting.com

time management

What To Do When It All Falls Apart

Every business owner loves strong steady growth.  We love when the bank account is always increasing.  We tend to view growth as a sign of our success.  In our minds, growth is to be expected and anything else is unacceptable.  Long term growth is what all business owners want.  However, many people misunderstand the growth process.

I’ve spoken with 3 clients this week that were freaking out because they saw areas of their business that were “falling apart.”  They were using all of their effort and ability to try to hold it together.  It is scary as a business owner to see something that you have worked hard to build, that used to function well, fall apart.  Trust me I get it!  It’s not my favorite part of business.  But it is a NORMAL part of business.

Why does this happen?

When we create a system, hire new team members, or develop a revenue model, we create it based on where we are at today.  We try to think ahead and anticipate needs so that we can create something that will work for an extended period of time.  But we do not have a crystal ball.  We cannot always predict where we will be a year from now.  We get to a point where those systems, team members and revenue model no longer work.  We outgrow them.  The people that we hired when our business was small bought into working for a small business and bought into working at that pace and intensity level.  When all of those things change, they may or may not choose to change with us.  The clients who loved us when we were small, may not love us when we are big and they see less of the owner they originally bought into.  Business owners have a tendency not to want to let go of what they have built.  So they try with all their might to hold on tight.  And when they can’t hold it all together, I hear the words, “Everything is falling apart right now.”

What do I do?

The reality is, you will experience this at some point in your business.  Here are some tips on what to do when you reach this fall out.

1. Recognize this as a normal phase of growth. It is restructuring.  People, systems, ideas and revenue are going away to make room for the next level of growth.
2. Don’t take it personally. This is not a reflection of your value, intelligence or ability.  If you take it personally, you will struggle to know what to create next.  You’ve got to bounce back quickly and embrace your strengths to make it through this dip.
3. Take time to be quiet. When things are falling apart we want to jump into frantic action.  We chase the dollars, the hires and the next idea.  This needs to be a time of reflection, meditation, prayer and planning.

What comes next?

“A setback is a set up for a comeback!” Dr. Willie Jolley.  How you handle the setback determines how quickly you will comeback.  Don’t let yourself get sidelined while you lick your wounds.  Don’t pretend it didn’t hurt and all is well.  Process the experience.  Let go of any blame you are feeling.  Take notes on what you can learn from the experience.  Come out of it a better, more experienced version of yourself.  And immediately start focusing on what comes next.  Don’t rush the process, but don’t wait around either.  During these times it is essential that you keep moving.  Many businesses close during these times of setback.  The key to not falling into that trap is to keep moving.  If you have one more appointment, one more client, one more speaking gig, you have a reason to keep moving even when it’s hard.

Better days are sure to come.

Every company will go through times of rapid growth, slow steady growth, and times of regression.   Every successful person you see on top of their game has been through the fall apart.  You will come out stronger.  It will refine you, but not define you. To get more details visit here: http://amywalkerconsulting.com/

business strategies

Are You Busy Or Productive?

A couple of years ago at a business event, I was having lunch with other entrepreneurs.  We were chatting about our businesses and the lady across from me said, “Wow, you are productive-busy.  I’m just busy-busy.”  I’ve thought about that phrase many times to help me analyze what type of busy I am.

Let’s face it, we live in a very over scheduled society.  We fill up our time.  I finish a project just to start another one.  I wake up every day with a to-do list longer than I can accomplish.  I’m definitely busy.  And I’m sure you are too.  But there is a big difference between just being busy and being truly productive in reaching your goals.

Busy people spend the majority of their time on “squeaky wheel” tasks.  Those are the things that have to do with the short term.  Things like emails, phone calls, text messages, social media, current appointments, grocery shopping, house cleaning etc.  They also tend to be tasks that will need to be re-done over and over again.  These taks are important, but if you let them take over your day, you will get stuck in BUSY!

I love to work.  I am always willing to work as hard as the next girl.  And it is SOOOOOO important to me that the hard work I am putting in creates long term payoff.  Long term payoff requires being productive, not just busy.

Productive people spend the majority of their time on tasks that will create future growth.  They balance out the squeaky wheel tasks with the forward momentum tasks.  They are good at saying no to opportunities that won’t serve them well over the course of their business.  They are okay to let go of unimportant tasks.  They are good at prioritizing.

Let me give you a couple of client examples.

One of my clients is a high level network marketer.  She was spending large amounts of time answering calls, emails and text messages.  She felt like so much of her time was spent responding to the needs of her team.  She was busy.  Her business was growing, but not as quickly as she wanted and she felt like she was losing sight of her life goals because of the business.  To move past the busy and into the productive, she first had to put some boundaries on her time.  She continued to be accessible, but during less of the day.  The time that she freed up was used to create training materials and a website for her team so that they could have more of her over the long haul.  That was a very productive use of her time!

Another one of my clients was traveling around the country teaching small classes to increase company wide sales.  She had the knowledge that was required to boost the sales, but she was gone a lot.  And the demand for her travel was becoming too high. She is, after all, one person.  In this case, she slowed down her travel a little bit, increased her work hours for a few months and wrote a book. The book covered a lot of the material she was training on.  She also created a workshop to certify others to train on what she had been training on.  Now she is on her way to having multiple people who can do what she did.

The third example is one of my Insurance Agent clients.  This client was spending large amounts of time writing policies, answering questions and managing the current flow of people.  An opportunity came up to network with some Mortgage offices. The opportunity was taken and lasting relationships were built.  This company now has a new partnership relationship that could potentially double the current clientele.

Where are you busy in your business?  What are the tasks you KNOW you need to do to move your business forward that you have been putting on the back burner?  It’s time to bring them to the fore front!  Today, rather than being busy, go for Productive. For More Details: business leaders you can also visit here: business development strategies

business growth

3 Proven Ways to Market on a Budget

I meet a LOT of small business owners and most of them fall into one of these two marketing categories:

1. The marketing avoider.  You know you should be marketing, but you just don’t have the budget for it.  Truthfully you feel unqualified to do it and it seems pretty scary.  So instead you avoid it.  You might go to a networking meeting now and then and try to meet some new leads.  You are probably spending time on social media, but again don’t really know what you are doing.
2. The marketing money pit. You are actively marketing your business.  Maybe you pay an outside firm.  Maybe you are running SEO and FB ads on your own.  But either way, you always seem to wish you could get more for less.

Let me introduce you to 3 powerful ways to market on a budget.  Marketing is not optional in business!  Your business needs leads.  The goal is to get the best quality leads for the lowest price possible.  And let me tell you some of my BEST converting leads were very inexpensive.

 3 Proven Ways to Market on a budget

1. Spend your time and money on the people most likely to convert. I know that sounds so simple, but it is powerful!  Too often we look for the cheap opportunities like the $200 vendor booth, the inexpensive sponsorship for a local event, the $5 boost of a facebook post.  After all it’s just a few dollars, and you can’t really afford the prime spot at the booth you really want.  Sound familiar?  The problem is any money spent on leads that don’t convert is really expensive!  The key to monitoring this is TRACKING!  Fortunately for you, you have my Business Expert’s Ultimate Marketing Calendar to analyze how your leads are converting.  
2. Trade time for dollars. I know that is what everyone tells you not to do in life. But in marketing for small business it is really good advice.  If you don’t have the big budget to just pay for leads, spend your time and effort to get them!  Go speak to groups and do a drawing.  Organize an expert summit.  Host a joint venture webinar. Write articles and pitch them to larger publications. Time spent on marketing is time well spent because not only will it save you money, it also has the ability to make you a lot of money!  Save and earn?  Sounds good to me!
3. Tap in to your current leads for future leads.  Referrals are always the best leads.  They come to you practically sold because of the recommendation of their friend.  They convert quickly, and they usually make good clients. The challenge for most businesses is that their referrals come at random times and inconsistently.  When you put a referral program in place, that game changes!  Referral programs systematize when you ask for referrals from your current clients.  What is the point where they are most satisfied with the experience of working with you?  If you are a real estate agent it is likely right after their home goes under contract, or right after they move in.  If you are a coach, it is likely right after they experience a personal win.  If you are a speaker, it is a few days after the event.  Find that sweet spot, and put in place a system that automates the referrals.

Marketing really is a hands on experience!  Watch your numbers.  Watch which sources are converting.  When you see a lead source that is not converting, but it off.  Even if the dollar amount going out is low, if the dollar amount coming in is not happening, it’s a huge waste of money!

It doesn’t matter where your business is at right now, consistent marketing efforts will build your business and accelerate your growth trajectory. For more details visit here: http://amywalkerconsulting.com/

business development strategies

5 Reasons Every Business Owner Needs To Be Hands-on With Marketing

Want to know the number one question business owners ask me?  (Prepare not to be shocked!)

“How do I create more consistency in our cash flow?”

Not shocking right?  I am constantly amazed, but not shocked at how entrepreneurs and small business owners accept the “feast or famine” cash flow that should have no place in business.  Large business owners would never accept a negative cash flow month just because it was preceded by a great one.  Your business needs cash every single month!

 Fortunately for you, it’s not that hard to create consistent cash flow.  All you need is consistent sales!  Easy right?  YES if you have consistent leads! 

A rocking marketing plan is the first step to having consistent cash in your business.  I am all about hiring out and delegation, but let me share with you 5 reasons why you MUST be hands on with your marketing plan!

1. Consistent Leads build consistent sales. Imagine having 100 new leads per week. Every single week.  What would that do for your business sales?  Too many business owners are hoping for consistent sales without consistent leads.  They go hand in hand. There are hundreds of ways to get leads, your job as a business owner is to find which ways work for your business and then do them over and over again.  You can absolutely hire out and get help in creating and running the marketing plan. But as the CEO you are steering the ship!  If you want to create growth, you must get in there and work alongside marketing to create the increase in lead flow.
2. It’s all about the numbers. Do you hate math? If so, it’s time to get over that!  Your business is a mathematical equation.  Whether you like math or not, your business is running off of numbers.  You have a series of numbers that if calculated and run correctly will predict your sales based on the number of leads you have.  You can also determine how many leads you need to hit any given sales goal.  Success is not mysterious, it is mathematical. If you are not aware of your numbers, you are running your business on hope.  Hope is great, but it is not a business plan!  Know your numbers!  It is extremely powerful.
3. Not all leads are created equal.If you are not hands on with your marketing, you may miss some important information with your leads. Do you know where the leads came from that your business is currently working with?  Do you know how they compare to the leads you worked with last month?  Do you know what marketing campaigns have historically produced the highest converting leads for your business?  When you know that information, you can make better decisions. You can stop putting time and money into campaigns that don’t produce.  And you can start spending more time and money on the marketing campaigns that bring in the right leads!
4. Small businesses are small fish in a marketing firm’s pool. I have had clients spend $15,000 over the course of 6 months with a marketing firm and not generate a single sale from the work done! Ouch!  That really stings.  That is a lot of money for marketing for a small business. That is a tiny amount of marketing money for a large company.  Marketing firms are used to working with companies that have more money in the budget for them to play with.   Every dollar that you spend with the marketing firm does not go straight into your ads or SEO strategy. Your dollars are paying salaries, the firm’s overhead, and for the firm’s marketing and then it is paying for your ads and SEO.  I’m not going saying that you should never hire a marketing firm.  I have hired marketing firms and had great success.  I am saying that you should know when to hire out and be involved in the decision making process with your firm to make sure you get the most for your money.
5. You can’t grow something you don’t understand. Let’s be honest, most small business owners and entrepreneurs started their business because they were passionate about their service, message, product, or opportunity. I was the same way.  I started my business because I loved to coach and I loved to speak.  I still love those things.  And I’m going to be brutally honest, knowledge of your business will create stronger results than passion about your product.  I meet people who are better speakers than me from time to time.  Most of the time their business is not as strong as mine.  I meet people who have stronger businesses than mine, they are rarely better speakers than me.  As business owners we spend so much effort mastering our craft.  And that is important, you need to have a quality product.  But when you step into entrepreneurship, BUSINESS also becomes your craft.  Your number one job is to create business growth.  And you simply cannot grow your marketing department if you don’t understand what is going on! For more details: http://amywalkerconsulting.com/

business strategy

The One Luxury You Must Afford

If you know me personally, you know that I am a pretty simple girl. I wear jeans when I can possibly help it. My shoe collection fits on the floor in a single row on my side of the closet. As long as my car has AC and automatic doors, I am in heaven. I see things all the time that people think are necessities that to me I think, “eh”. iphones, fancy laptops, tricked out cars, purse collections (I own one and use it until it’s trashed then get a new one) etc.

But there is one thing that people tend to consider a luxury that baffles me! Self-Nurture. In my world, this is a NECESSITY! I hear this ALL the time from business owners. “I can’t take time off to go on the ski trip.” “I’m too busy to go to the bathroom, let alone have a day at the spa.” “I don’t have time for daily meditation, I wake up and hit the floor running until my head hits the pillow at night.” Are you guilty?

There’s a really easy reason why self-nurture is a necessity. I call it the B-word. BURNOUT! When you hit burnout, your productivity, passion and profits all slump! You are not innovative. You are not seeing how to solve problems clearly. You are not an amazing husband, wife, mother or father. You are just going through the motions and your business and family suffer! Consider burnout like the bubonic plague for entrepreneurs. You do not want it!

In order to keep it away, you must fight it at ANY COST! And yes, you guessed it, the cost is self-nurture! We all have physical, mental, and emotional needs that have to be met. When they are met, we have what it takes to go the distance. When they are not, we run out of fuel and burnout settles in.

I promise you don’t want to go there!

Take some time to analyze what you really need. I work with INTENSITY. I get more done than most in a day. Sometimes I forget to go to the bathroom or eat. And I love to eat, so that’s how you know it’s intense in my office. To balance that out, I take of EVERY Friday (unless I’m traveling) and go to a quiet place to get spiritually connected before the weekend. Then I go out to lunch with my husband.

When I feel like I’ve been working super hard, I’ll take time to paint or play my cello. I wake up early so that I have time to read, journal and think before my kids wake up. I do not burn the midnight oil, because I am a girl that needs her beauty sleep! I got regular massages when I lived in Utah. Still looking for a new massage therapist in my new town.

When I am in the middle of the day, and I am stressed and under pressure, I take 10 minutes that I DO NOT HAVE to walk outside, take deep breaths and recharge. I set a schedule that honors my natural flow. I get tired in the afternoon and I plan activities that will either allow me to be restful or are fun enough to give me a second wind. I do not do anything for money that doesn’t honor my values or my boundaries with my family.

I’m not saying your self-nurture should look like mine, but you do need to have it! Your productivity will thank me! For more details visit here: business growth

sales skills

Struggling With Focus?

Do you struggle getting focused and staying focused?  Me too! Sometimes I look at my computer to find an open power point I am working on, 3 publisher documents, one word document, three internet browsers (each with 8-10 tabs) and of course those social media notifications.  (That may or may not be exactly how my laptop looked 5 minutes ago and it may or may not be what prompted this article).frequently don’t have enough meditation time.  We plug in first thing in the morning and usually unplug right before bed.  We do a lot of jumping from one task to the next without completing each one.

This IS a HUGE problem for business owners.  And none of us are immune to it.  Here are some tips for how to avoid distractions and what to do when you are distracted!

1. Close EVERYTHING!  You should only have one project open on your computer at a time and anything else you open needs to be related to that task. 
2. Have an idea spot.  Mine is in my business tracker.  I have a specific place to keep new ideas.  I also have another place for things I need to do.  I do not keep this tracker open all of the time or it can become my next distraction.  But I can pull it up, write something down, and get back to work again quickly. 
3. Take a 15 minute break to get your thoughts organized.  It will make a world of difference in your productivity for the rest of the day.
4. Unplug 1 hour before bed.  Your brain needs quiet time to rejuvenate EVERY day.  If you go straight from online, texting or working to bed, your brain is not having time to adjust.  You will find you are MORE tired and distracted the next day
5. Do not get on your phone, laptop or social media until after you have cranked out some of your projects.
6. Get enough sleep, drink enough water, and eat healthier foods.  Your health is essential to your business.  Give yourself what you need to be focused and feeling great.
7. If your brain is just too tired to focus, take a powernap.  I used to work for a professor who took her blanket and pillow to work so she could lay on the floor if she got too sleepy.  During the middle of the day, she would pull it out turn off the lights and lay on the floor (While I was still working at the computer.  It was a little awkward.)  And it gave me permission to do the same. 

What are your tips for staying focused?  Share them with us on our facebook page

For more details: http://amywalkerconsulting.com/

sales skills

How To Sell When It’s Just Not Your Thing

Years ago I had a boss tell me, “You’re either a natural born salesman or you’re not.”  I laughed because he was including me in the natural born side of that equation.  I was his top seller after all so of course he would think that I just came out of the womb with sales skills.

Little did he know just how bad I started off.  My sales skills as a child consisted of eating a couple of the candy bars for the fund raiser and my parents getting mad at me when they had to pay for them. I never won a single prize for a single fundraiser!  

When I started my first business at 22, I was doing cosmetic sales for a direct sales company. I told my upline that I didn’t have anyone to sell to and I remember her saying, “That’s okay, we’ll teach you how to meet people.”  Little did I know that a week later, I would be walking the mall trying to strike conversation with random strangers in the hopes that they would feel inspired to want to buy something from me.  

“Cute bag.” I said to the woman in Nordstroms with a big friendly smile.  She smiled and walked away.

“I love your shoes.” To the woman in JC Penny’s who told me where she got them.  She also walked away.

“This seems like a really fun place to work.”  I told the girl behind the jewelry counter.  She couldn’t walk away.  She was paid to stand there.  But I still couldn’t seem to figure out how to transition from friendly conversation into actually pitching my product or service.

Finally in my last ditch attempt to not have to report my upine that I failed at meeting people, I found a girl sitting down reading the newspaper.  I took a deep breath, “You’ve got this Amy!  She’s your girl!”

“Um hi,” I awkwardly mumbled.  “I’m sorry to bug you, but you are just really pretty and I…”  She looked up at me with fear in her eyes.  She clearly thought I was asking her out on a date! “No,” I backtracked, “Not like that.  I mean, I just… I sell makeup and I thought maybe…”  

She didn’t even let me finish!  She said no thanks and looked at me like I was crazy.  And you know what?  I felt crazy!  I wasn’t a sales person!  Why in the world would I put myself through all of that?

The answer to that question is easy.  I wanted to be an entrepreneur.  I wanted to run my own business!  And like many of you reading this post, I just wished there were some way to do it without sales skills!  

Fortunately, business does require sales skills.  And fortunately, they are learnable!  But trust me, save yourself, and the poor people you hit on in the mall some trouble and learn some sales skills!

1. Have good scripts.  When you are nervous you stumble over your words. Strong scripts will give you, and the person you are speaking with confidence in the sales process.  It allows you to be in the position of assisting someone to get what they need and want, rather than talking them into something don’t need or want.
2. Focus on your avatar. Who exactly wants your products?  If you are trying to sell to someone that is not really interested, it will make the sale experience so much harder.  Market your business in a way that you have leads coming to you and letting you know they are interested.  It is so much more fun to sell to the right people!
3. Solve their problems.  When you can solve a problem for someone, they will purchase from you.  Your job them becomes finding the issue and showing them the solution.
4. Give high value in your sales experiences.  You are not going to close every deal.  But you can run your business in a way where you serve every prospective client.  I love that when I get off the phone, my prospective clients say, “Thank you so much!  This has been so helpful.”  Whether they purchase or not, I make sure that time spent with my team or myself results in a benefit for the person we have spoken to.

Sales Skills take time to develop.  It will take practice before you really feel comfortable in the conversations.  And I guarantee that you will only get comfortable through practice!  So get out there, follow these tips, and don’t worry, if I can do it, you can do it! For more details visit here: http://amywalkerconsulting.com/

business development strategies

Want A Fail Proof Way To Predict Your Sales?

Do you start off each month with awesome sales goals and a vision for how you are going to accomplish it?  If not, that’s your first problem!

Assuming you are starting off with a specific sales goal, let’s move into the bigger question.  Are you hitting your sales goals? If not, we need to talk Business Strategy

Sales and Marketing go together like cake and frosting.  There really isn’t much purpose in one without the other!  If you want to increase your sales, you need to have leads.  If you’ve got good lead flow and your sales stink, the business is not going to last.

Any good business strategy will involve tracking your numbers.  In large companies, there are departments assigned to watching, tracking and analyzing the numbers. For entrepreneurs and small business owners, that task often falls to the business owner.  And unfortunately, many of those business owners are afraid of or confused by their numbers.  In fact, when I meet an entrepreneur who actually knows their numbers and uses them to run the business, I want to throw a celebration in their honor.  That is how rare it is!

Here are 5 essential numbers you need to know in a strong business strategy!

1. Closing Ratio: This number is simply the percentage of people you offer your product to divided by the number of people that purchase. Closing ratios will vary by industry and by price point.  Find out what is standard in your industry and hold yourself and your team accountable to reach beyond industry standard.  If someone on your team has a significantly lower conversion rate than the others, that is a sign, they are not a great fit for your position.
2. Cost Per Lead: To find this number, take the total cost of generating those leads and divide it by the number of leads generated. This number will help you calculate Return on Investment and know if you should say yes or no to a particular marketing event.
3. Value per lead: To get this number, you will take the total sales generated and divide it by the number of leads it took to get those sales. This number used with the cost per lead will help you to know if your marketing is profitable.  If it costs you more to get the lead than the sales you generate from those marketing strategies, your business is losing money when you bring in new customers.
4. Percentage of people that schedule sales appointments with you: This is the second most important number when it comes to your sales. If this number is looking bad that means you are not even getting to the opportunity to promote your product or service.  And it tells you that you either have a problem with your reach out script, or you are reaching out to the wrong group of people.
5. Number of leads needed to reach your monthly sales goal: This is the number most business owners love to hate. They love this number because it shows them exactly what needs to happen for them to make sure they hit their sales goal.  They hate this number for two reasons. First, it requires you to track every step of your process. The formula to calculate it actually requires 7 levels of data, so the formula is not as cut and dry.  Second, it’s not a fun number to look at.  It is almost always higher than we wish it was. But here’s the deal, the numbers don’t lie.

If you want a solid business strategy and predictable numbers, then you simply need to use these formulas!

Are you ready for me to be your best friend?  I am going to create a template that calculates ALL of these numbers for you!  And I would love to give it to you for FREE!

Stay tuned because it will be available the beginning of May 2016!  Let’s take your sales to the next level! See more: http://amywalkerconsulting.com/