It’s a new year, which means every entrepreneur is goal setting. “Will this be the year that I cross 6 figures?” they are excitedly (and maybe slightly fearfully) asking themselves. Did you know that statistically of the 22 million non-employer businesses, only roughly 11 percent ever make 6-figures? (According to the Small Business Administration)
To earn 6 figures this year, you need to earn $8,333.33 a month or $1,923.07 a week. And more importantly, you have to have a clear and concise plan of how you’re going to generate that NEW revenue each week (and month) in your business. If you ask me, building a business is about much more than marketing, but I know that when you aren’t making that kind of money all you see is that you have a marketing problem.
And I get it. I know that in my own journey, I really didn’t have a business until I crossed the six-figure mark. And once you do, you want to make sure that with the income shift, you invite the mindset shift to accompany it. You see, when you stay in practitioner mode, you fail to see what you must do to grow your business with consistency. That’s why when I saw Cameron’s question, I couldn’t wait to share my two cents:
“Hi Darnyelle. Happy New Year! So I set a goal to make 2014 the first year that I earn 6 figures in my business and I want your expert opinion on what marketing materials I need to focus on to ensure I earn 6 figures.”
Watch this week’s episode to hear my response:
So before you can even create a marketing material, you need to have:
1. A clearly defined Audience of One™ – who are you wanting to serve with your solutions?
2. A compelling top of mind problem – what is the top of mind problem that this audience has that they are ready to pay for a solution to?
3. A proven solution – what is the solution that you’ve created and validated to truly solve their problem?
4. A plan to reach them – what is your plan to get in front of those you desire to serve so that you can tell them that you know what they struggle with and more importantly that you have a solution?
Now, assuming you have all of that, here are the 10 OTHER things you need to have to build a six-figure business:
5. Higher rates – unless you plan to work like a proverbial slave in 2014, you need to charge rates that will help you to achieve your goal of $8,333.33 easier and leave time for marketing. You can’t have to spend all of your time performing the service and expect to make a 6-figure income for your business.
6. Success stories – you better be able to share who else has gotten results from working with you. If you can’t, it may be challenging to get a new prospect to be willing to take a chance on you. They may see your solution as a theory without evidence that it has helped others.
7. A marketing system that makes you magnetic – for instance, I teach my clients a 7-step formula for marketing that includes sequences that automate the process that they use to get their message in front of those they desire to serve. You want to have a proven system from which to build your marketing strategy to make it easier for you to achieve your goal.
8. A follow up system to stay in touch with prospects – as it is not only said but statistically proven, the fortune is in the follow up! How will you stay on top of all of the additional work that may be necessary beyond the initial call or meeting?
9. A signature system – when you have a signature way of creating results for your clients, success become predictable. When success is predictable, you build your expert status. Also, people with signature systems can charge more.
10. A signature talk – speaking is by far one of THE best ways to attract new clients. So, are you prepared with a signature speech that you could give at the drop of a dime to a room full of your Audience of One™?
11. An unpaid sales force – who do you have that is out there singing your praises and bringing new prospects into your funnel?
12. A way to stay connected with your clients, community and those considering working with you. I like to call this Top of Mind Marketing. How are you making sure that you remain relevant even when they’re not buying? You need to have a way to stay in front of your community at all times, giving you omnipresence.
13. A client management plan – once you start getting clients, without a way to manage them, you won’t have clients for a long time. You must be clear on exactly what you will do to service them in excellence so that they stay and tell others about you.
14. A personal belief that you can do it – if you don’t have a mindset that supports your goal, you’ll likely stall before the month of January is over. Let me keep it real with you, building a business is not easy AND more importantly it’s not for everyone. If you want to be a business owner, you have to think like a business owner, you have to give your business the same respect you gave your job, and you have to know that your business will be a success (and then do the work to make that a reality)
(And I could go on, but in honor of the number 14, that’s where I will stop.)
So there you have it. A formula to make 2014 a 6-figure year in your business. The key is to take what you’ve seen here and act upon it. A vision without a plan and action is just a well thought out dream. ~@DarnyelleJervey
Yup, you can tweet that!
Now, I want to hear from you. What’s your two cents? Did I leave anything off this list that you KNOW should be here? What are you doing in 2014 to make this a 6-figure year for you? Don’t forget to share your two cents on our blog so that our community can benefit from your wisdom.
©2014 by Darnyelle A. Jervey. All Rights Reserved. Darnyelle A. Jervey, MBA, The Incredible Factor Speaker, Business Coach and Marketing Mentor, is the founder of Incredible One Enterprises.com, Incredible Factor University® and the Leverage Your Incredible Factor System®, a proven step-by-step program for more clients, more income and more leverage in your business. For more information and a FREE audio CD “7 Critical Mistakes Entrepreneurs Must Avoid When Unleashing Your Incredible Factor So You Attract More Clients, Make More Money and Gain More Leverage” just fill out the form below.
