Promote Yourself to CEO | Small Business Strategy for Women Entrepreneurs Racheal Cook MBA: Small Business Owner, Entrepreneur, Business Growth Strategist

Have things been slowing down in your business? What if you could start each year knowing that you have the majority of the revenue you need locked in?
Many entrepreneurs have noticed a recent slowdown in their businesses due to consumer anxiety surrounding the economy. The natural reaction to that is to market to attract new people and bring them into your business to boost revenue. But are you neglecting an easier way?
As a podcast producer for service-based businesses, Stacey Harris has noticed the downturn trend and gotten ahead of the curve. She and I have had a conversation about this recently during a retreat. But instead of putting all the attention on the front end, she’s helping others get set up for continued success (regardless of what happens with the economy), focusing on gaining clients for life.
And now, we’re bringing our conversation to you. In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn about how you can focus on bringing in more revenue by paying attention to the people who’ve already paid you. We’ll tell you about the small things you can do and shifts you can make to take advantage of this small business gamechanger.
7:52 - Some businesses like cable and cell phone companies keep making this mistake.
10:16 - What’s the difference between a repeating customer and a lifetime client?
16:04 - I give examples of how consumer-facing businesses can provide extra value to existing clients in times of economic uncertainty.
22:01 - We run a people-over-profit business here at The CEO Collective, which helps us stand out. Here’s an example of how.
26:12 - How can you make things even a tiny bit easier for your clients? Stacey talks about how she’s doing it for podcasters.
28:56 - One of the biggest shifts in my business recently came from an unexpected source.
31:38 - What’s the real linchpin to gaining clients for life? And how have I used it to evolve my business since the beginning?
40:01 - You can bring all of your expertise to the table to make money in multiple ways. Stacey discusses a recent example of how she did it.
43:04 - Stacey reveals the hardest part about communicating in client relationships.
49:07 - What else happens for your business when you retain clients? It makes business growth so much easier.
Mentioned in How to Gain Clients for Life with Stacey Harris
The CEO CollectiveThe CEO RetreatCustomer Experience podcast series: episode 1, 2, 3, and 4Stacey Harris on Instagram and TikTokUncommonly MoreRacheal on Instagram and TikTokThe 90 CEO Operating System, the latest advanced training for business owners already beyond six figures. This training will be available right here until the end of May, and you’ll find the slides at http://www.theceocollective.com/training. Don’t miss this, and if you’re ready to take it a step further, apply now at https://theceocollective.com/apply/ to join The CEO Collective.

Imagine spending a half hour (or longer) on a sales call with someone. And as you wrap it up, you’re hoping they’ll say yes to your product, program, or service.
But instead, they tell you they’re not ready. Or they can’t afford it. Or the timing is off, and can they get back to you?
This is one of the most frustrating things about sales and the reason why so many entrepreneurs dread getting on a call with a new potential client. If this is something that you’re experiencing right now, then you need a strategy that allows you to turn more potential clients into actual clients.
Creating a well-crafted pre-client education process will do the trick. Not only does it improve your overall conversion rate, but it also makes sales so much easier!
In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn how to implement this pre-sale education process for potential clients in your business. I’ll talk about why old-school sales strategies don’t work anymore, what modern sales strategies do differently, and take you step-by-step through the pre-client education process.
On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:
2:24 - How have sales changed since the 1990s? I explain why there’s a disconnect with old-school strategies from 25-30 years ago.
7:53 - I reveal how modern sales strategies differ from old-school sales strategies and the importance of pre-sales education.
12:23 - What’s the first step of the pre-sales education process? You need this regardless of what you sell.
18:55 - Here are two options you can add in step two if a potential buyer needs to have a conversation with you.
24:10 - How do you use pre-sales emails to sell your product, program, or service? I discuss a great example I share with clients inside The CEO Collective.
30:26 - You can add this to your pre-client education content in case potential clients aren’t already familiar with you.
32:29 - I talk about a couple of other things you might consider including in your pre-sales content.
37:13 - How are sales calls different for me since I began implementing this process in my business?
39:09 - Give people a window of time to make a decision. What does your enrollment period look like?
43:01 - Some people will want to wait for the next round to buy from you, or you might have all spots filled. I share what you can do for those situations.
45:50 - What formats do you want to use to send pre-sales education content to your potential clients?
The CEO CollectiveThe CEO RetreatThe CEO Planner90 Day CEO Operating SystemMarketing Strategy IntensivePodcast AllyThe 90 CEO Operating System, the latest advanced training for business owners already beyond six figures. This training will be available right here until the end of May, and you’ll find the slides at http://www.theceocollective.com/training. Don’t miss this, and if you’re ready to take it a step further, apply now at https://theceocollective.com/apply/ to join The CEO Collective.

The rumors are true - the world of entrepreneurship and small business is rapidly changing. And what may have worked in 2016 or even 2020 is no longer as effective. 

Join the mentors of The CEO Collective for this discussion about what we are currently seeing in the world of small business, including:
The 'popular' tactics are constantly changing, but we see entrepreneurs getting exhausted trying to constantly keep up. That's why we focus on proven best practices for small businesses!How perfectionism rears it's ugly head especially during more stressful times when we start to doubt ourselves and our core business strategy.Why the mentality of 'set it and forget it' does not work long term when those tactics stop working. Passive income, funnels, and automate everything leaves out the HUMANITY of business.Business grows at the speed of relationships - we all believe that building those relationships are key to the long term success for small businesses.Remember that business is cyclical and trends come and go - there's always an opportunity to ride the wave in popularity but what do small businesses do when those stop working?Why the 'overnight success' myth is really distracting small business owners from the time it really takes to build a successful business.Why we dive deep into nuance and context when considering what will or won't work for small business ownersWant to learn more and apply to the next cohort of The CEO Collective? Get all the details about how you can work with our team at https://theceocollective.com/apply/ 
The 90 CEO Operating System, the latest advanced training for business owners already beyond six figures. This training will be available right here until the end of May, and you’ll find the slides at http://www.theceocollective.com/training. Don’t miss this, and if you’re ready to take it a step further, apply now at https://theceocollective.com/apply/ to join The CEO Collective.

We’ve just seen a golden age for people wanting to start their own small business. The 10 to 15 year period from the 2008 recession to COVID-19 was a bull market that saw improved and more affordable technology available for small business owners. As a result, small businesses exploded into existence, particularly for women entrepreneurs.
But the economy is cyclical, and there comes a time when the bull market slows down. In the last few years, we’ve seen that lots of businesses had to adapt or get shut down during the pandemic lockdowns. We’re watching inflation cause expenses to skyrocket. And your customers and clients are feeling the impact.
The economy is uncertain right now, and perhaps your sales are slowing down as a result. People might be telling you that they need a little more time to budget for your signature offer, or they’re less willing to commit to a long-term program and higher dollar amounts. So your sales process will have to change.
Today kicks off a new series all about how the sales process is changing. In this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO, you’ll learn about what to do if your sales strategy is no longer producing the results you want right now. I’ll teach you how to prevent your business from slowing down so much that it threatens to shut down.
On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:
9:11 - There’s been a big change in B2B vs. consumer-facing sales strategies over the last few years. What is it?
13:29 - Adding in a personal touch somewhere to your sales process will improve your overall results. I reveal how I do it.
17:14 - Here’s another high-touch tactic I do that you can add to your marketing.
19:45 - People want to know who they’re giving money to, so are you making your company’s values explicitly clear?
27:40 - How can you make your business relevant to clients and customers right now? It’s all about meeting them where they are.
34:48 - One last thing to think about that will help you so much as a small business owner.
Mentioned in Why Your Old Sales Strategy Might Not Be Working
The CEO CollectiveThe CEO RetreatLoom“The Vulnerable Side of Visibility with Erica Courdae” podcast episodeMarketing Strategy IntensiveUncommonly MoreRacheal on Instagram and TikTokRate and review on Apple PodcastsThe 90 CEO Operating System, the latest advanced training for business owners already beyond six figures. This training will be available right here until the end of May, and you’ll find the slides at http://www.theceocollective.com/training. Don’t miss this, and if you’re ready to take it a step further, apply now at https://theceocollective.com/apply/ to join The CEO Collective.

Do you struggle internally with selling because you feel like you’re pushing people to buy things they don’t need? You want to improve your sales skills and feel like you’re advocating your offers out of service, not desperation.
You need sales confidence. And my guest today, Leslie Lyons, is a sales and leadership coach with a no BS approach who’s all about helping women embrace sales confidence. She just has a way of talking about sales and encouraging people to make more sales that’s so refreshing to hear.
In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn about how to get more confident at selling. You’ll also discover how to re-examine your relationship with sales and money so that you can truly step into your purpose and be of service to people you’re here to help through your business.
On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:
8:22 - Leslie describes the kind of household she grew up in and reveals why having money is key for women in relationships.
12:34 - How are women in the Western world conditioned when it comes to money? And how does white feminism tie into it?
17:52 - How did Leslie find out she was good at sales? She reveals her very first sales job and the foundational piece to having sales confidence.
26:54 - Leslie discusses how to build up sales confidence so you don’t feel so hesitant, uncomfortable, or awkward when advocating for your offer.
30:33 - Other than stereotypes about selling, here are a couple of other reasons why women hesitate to do it (and what we make them mean about ourselves as individuals).
34:30 - What lesson can Kanye teach you as an entrepreneur in sales situations?
38:27 - I learned an important sales lesson as a kid. And it demonstrates why Leslie focuses on sales confidence instead of sales strategy.
41:40 - Here’s something else that can keep you attached to your business and make it personal.
Mentioned in How to Embrace Sales Confidence In Your Business with Leslie Lyons
Leslie D. LyonsLeslie’s podcast: Pleasurable Profits: Sales & Leadership for Non-Traditional CEOsLeslie on Instagram and LinkedInRacheal on Instagram and TikTokRate and review on Apple PodcastsThe 90 CEO Operating System, the latest advanced training for business owners already beyond six figures. This training will be available right here until the end of May, and you’ll find the slides at http://www.theceocollective.com/training. Don’t miss this, and if you’re ready to take it a step further, apply now at https://theceocollective.com/apply/ to join The CEO Collective.

If you're already crossing that big $100K milestone and looking at $250K, $500K, and beyond, you need different information and advice than the businesses that are brand new, but the more you grow, the less public information you're going to find.

If you're ready to break through to your business's next level of success, join me for today's masterclass, The 90-Day CEO Operating System.

This system is designed to help you put the infrastructure in place to sustainably scale your business without sacrificing your life, your health, or your family.

Find the slides for this masterclass at http://www.theceocollective.com/training.

Apply Now for The CEO Collective at https://theceocollective.com/apply.