Leah Neaderthal

“I get these little pockets of time where I should be doing lead gen & biz dev, but I’m not sure what I should be doing.”

You might think I’m talking about one of my amazing clients, but I’m not.

I’m talking about every client. Literally every business owner, every entrepreneur I talk to.

And it’s no wonder, right? Because when you run your own business, you’re juggling selling with everything else in the business. And you have to prioritize.

What comes first in priority? What you HAVE to do and LIKE to do: doing the work.

What comes next? What you WANT to do and NEED to do: working on the business.

Followed a long way down by…

What you NEED to do but DISLIKE: doing lead gen & business development.

That leaves little room for meaningful time and effort getting new clients.

But even when you only have short gaps of time, there’s a lot you can get done to build your pipeline, move potential clients to close, and put yourself out there.

So here’s a quick guide on how to squeeze in lead gen tasks …

If you only have 10 minutes:

• Check your sales pipeline and reach out to anyone who could be moved closer to close, or anyone who hasn’t heard from you in a while*
• Follow up with any potential client who has an outstanding proposal
• If you have proposals to write, look at your calendar and block off time to write them
• Pick one person you haven’t talked to in a while, reach out and invite them to a conversation*

If you only have 30 minutes:

• Pick two people you haven’t talked to in a while, reach out and invite them to a conversation*
• Pick two people you’ve reached out to recently and follow up if they didn’t respond*
• Write a quick social media post that relates to your business and share it on your social channels

If you only have 1 hour:

• Pull together a list of 20 people who are your ideal client and could benefit from your work, including finding emails for each person (look in your CRM, contacts, Linkedin connections, etc.)
• Draft and send an outreach email to those people in your list above*
• Write a proposal (it shouldn’t take you more than 1-1.5 hours)
• Write a blog post, publish it, and share it on social media
• Take that blog post you just wrote and send it out in your newsletter

There you go! Now you have no excuse not to do biz dev or lead gen, even if you don’t have a lot of time. 🙂

What can YOU accomplish this week in these short timespans? Head to the Smart Gets Paid community and let me know!

To your success,

Leah

* Want my email templates with exactly what to say to these folks? You get them in my sales coaching program SIGNED.

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are three ways I can help you.

1. Join the Smart Gets Paid Group and connect with women entrepreneurs who are learning how to get clients too. This is my new Facebook community where ambitious women like you learn how to get the clients they want, without feeling salesy. Click here to join.

2. Learn how to get new clients without feeling “salesy,” in 10 weeks
If getting new clients is always on your to-do list, but you’re not sure where to start, I can help. You’ll learn step-by-step how to get the clients you want, without feeling salesy. And you’ll get the coaching you need to put learning into practice in your business. Interested? Just email me with “Clients” in the subject line and I’ll get you the details.

3. Work with me privately
If you’d like to work directly with me to learn how to sell, get paid more, and get the clients you really want, just send me a message and put “Private” in the subject line. Tell me a little about your business and what you’re struggling with when it comes to selling, and I’ll get you all the details.

Last week I announced my new company name, Smart Gets Paid. This week I’m sharing a new rallying cry: the manifesto for smart, driven women entrepreneurs learning how to get new clients.

Listen, we all know that learning something new can be a challenge. It’s easy to doubt yourself, stumble here and there, and even give up.

So I hope this manifesto becomes a rallying cry for when you need a boost.

When you feel weird about reaching out to a potential client, let it REASSURE you.
When you start to reduce your price, let it challenge you to go HIGHER.
When you’re nervous about a sales conversation, let it give you COURAGE.
And when you feel like an imposter, let it show you that you BELONG here.

This is your manifesto.

The manifesto for successful, smart, driven women entrepreneurs

We are smart.

It’s not just an adjective, it’s a way of being.

We get results.

We do incredible work that makes a difference in our clients’ worlds.

We know our value.

Our work provides tremendous value to our clients, and that value has a price.

We don’t hide.

Putting ourselves out there can feel uncomfortable, but we know that the people we can help are waiting for us.

We are always learning.

Knowledge is our rocket fuel.

We invest in ourselves.

We close the gap between where we are and where we want to be.

We rise above messages about what women should and shouldn’t do.

And we have compassion for ourselves and the messages we’ve unknowingly internalized.

We let go of the beliefs that hold us back.

We honor our experiences, but release anything that no longer serves us.

We push ourselves.

No one is harder on us than we are.

We put on our capes.

We do what needs to be done.

We get the clients we want.

The ones that make us excited, that fuel our soul, that we can get incredible results for.

We get paid what we want.

Even the numbers we used to only dream about.

We make ourselves proud.

We set high standards and exceed them.

Our time is now.

The world is ready, it’s time for us to show up.

—

What about you — are you ready to show up? If you want to start now, and start getting the clients you want, write back and let me know.

To your success,

Leah

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are three ways I can help you.

1. Join the Smart Gets Paid Group and connect with women entrepreneurs who are learning how to get clients too. This is my new Facebook community where badass women like you learn how to get the clients they want, without feeling salesy. Click here to join.

2. Learn how to get new clients without feeling salesy, in 10 weeks
If getting new clients is on your to-do list, but you’re not sure where to start, I can help. You’ll learn step-by-step how to get the clients you want, without feeling salesy. And you’ll get the support you need to put learning into practice in your business. Just email me and put “Clients” in the subject line and I’ll get you the details.

3. Work with me privately
If you’d like to work directly with me to learn how to sell, get paid more, and get the clients you really want, just email me and put “Private” in the subject line. Tell me a little about your business and what you’re struggling with when it comes to selling, and I’ll get you all the details.

Yesterday I told you that something exciting is coming soon. How soon? Today! And you, my amazing badass business owner, are getting a behind the scenes look.

Ready? I’m changing my company name to Smart Gets Paid. Here’s what it means, and what it means for YOU.

In short, Smart Gets Paid is about YOU. 

1) It starts with being SMART. Seriously, women business owners are the smartest people out there. Lifetime overachievers. And everything in business starts with being smart and being able to figure stuff out. You, my dear, are smart AF.

2) And your desire to LEARN. Smart is one thing, but you know you don’t know everything yet. Your desire to learn and grow is what will help you close the gap between where you are now and where you want to be. That’s why you’re here – to learn and improve as a business owner, so you can get the clients you want.

3) And let’s talk about GETTING PAID. We can talk all day about “building a life you love” or “making a difference in the world” but in the end, that comes down to money: being able to make the money you want to make. And that can’t happen if you’re undercharging, working too hard for not enough money, or working with crap clients. So let’s fix that.

Here’s what it means for you

It’s mostly the same. Same me, same goal: helping you learn how to get the clients you want. My bottom line is still helping you increase your bottom line.

BUT you’ll see more: more opportunities to learn, more connection with other smart, driven women entrepreneurs. More fluff-free strategies you can use immediately.

Just under a different name: Smart Gets Paid.

So here’s what you’ll see

You’ll see this change roll out over the next few months. Why? Because I didn’t want to spend a bunch of time tinkering away on graphics and whatnot.

The most important way I can spend my time is in helping you get the clients you want and get paid bigger numbers.

So while this transition is happening, bear with me while you see some of the old/new branding.

 

What to do now

JOIN YOUR TRIBE. Head to the free Smart Gets Paid Facebook group and click “Join.” This is where I’ll be every day, giving you tips, doing live videos, and hosting chats – all to help you learn how to get the clients you want.

There you’ll join other smart, driven women business owners who are learning how to get clients too. (And they’re all pretty badass!)

TAKE CHARGE. If you want to learn how to get the clients you want (not just the ones that happen to come your way), make it happen. If you want to solve this problem in 10 weeks, email me at leah@smartgetspaid.com.

Because you’re already smart. Now it’s time for smart to get paid.

To your success,

Leah

PS: Whenever you’re ready to get the clients you want, without feeling salesy, here are three ways I can help:


1. Join the Smart Gets Paid group and connect with women entrepreneurs like you. This is the new Facebook community where badass women learn to get more clients and get paid bigger numbers, so they can get back to doing awesome work. Click here to join.

2. Learn how to get the clients you want, without feeling salesy
If you’re a smart, driven woman entrepreneur who wants to get the clients you really want, not just the ones who happen to come your way, just email me with “Clients” in the subject line and I’ll get you the details.
3. Work with me privately
If you’d like to work directly with me to learn how to sell, get paid more, and get the clients you really want… just email me and put “Private” in the subject line. Tell me a little about your business and what you’re struggling with when it comes to selling, and I’ll get you all the details.

A few weeks ago I shared an article I wrote about a client who felt anxious about money, but when we mapped out her sales pipeline, she had more than enough potential revenue (and she felt much better). Today I’m sharing a story that’s the opposite, and you’ll learn how to tell if a potential sales lead is alive or dead.

—

Have you ever had something happen that seems soul-crushing at the time, but in hindsight, you see that it led to something awesome?

For one of my clients, this was that moment.

We were looking at her sales pipeline in our SIGNED Quick Start Session. She had over 100 potential clients listed, and we were going through them one by one.

I asked, “What about this one? When’s the last time you were in touch with them?”

“About six months ago.”

“And this one?”

“We talked last year.” And on and on.

It turned out that of the 100 or so potential clients in her pipeline, only a handful were what I would consider “active opportunities.”

That’s when I knew I’d have to share some tough news. Those sales leads she thought were in her pipeline? They were dead.

And the million dollar pipeline she thought she had? She didn’t.

But instead of being bad news, it cleared the way for something awesome for her business.

—

In my coaching, I focus a lot on the sales pipeline. Why? Because your sales pipeline because it’s a good measure of the health of your business.

If your pipeline is full, you’ll be on track to make the money you want to make.
If it’s empty, or close to empty, you’ll struggle for revenue.

But to know whether your pipeline is full or empty, you have to take a hard look at what’s in it. The potential clients in your pipeline – are they alive? Or dead?

Here’s how to tell if it’s a live opportunity. If it’s…
– Someone you’re actively talking to right now
– Someone you’ve talked to within the last 3 months or so
– Someone who, maybe it’s been longer than 3-6 months, but you could jumpstart it with an email

If it’s not active, you guessed it. It’s dead.

—

So, back to my client. Her pipeline had been wiped clean, and instead of 100 potential clients, she had a handful.

But that presented a tremendous opportunity: the ability to build her pipeline with real potential clients tied to real revenue.

It was the chance to get clear on exactly how she was going to make the money she wanted to make. And to get the clients she really wanted, who were excited to work with her.

She had shed the “dead weight” and could start fresh.

So she focused on creating active sales opportunities. She identified her ideal clients, then focused on getting leads and getting to conversations.

Now she has 20 active opportunities. And while far fewer, these 20 are so much better than the 100 she had before.

They are her ideal clients.
They are very interested in moving forward.
They represent real revenue that could close at any time.

And that’s a healthy pipeline right there.

—

Now it’s your turn to take the pulse of YOUR pipeline. Here are few steps to get started:

Step 1) Look at the potential clients in your sales pipeline. Using the criteria above, take the pulse of each one. Is it alive? Or is it dead?

Step 2) Leave the live ones where they are. Then delete all the dead ones.

What’s left? Are there enough opportunities to make the money you want to make? If not, then…

Step 3) It’s time to create some potential client opportunities. Focus on getting leads this month, so you can get them to a conversation.

And if you want my help to get leads and build your sales pipeline, reply back to this email with “Opportunities” in the subject line, and let’s chat.

To your success,

Leah

PS: Whenever you’re ready to finally feel comfortable selling to — and signing — the clients you really want, here are three ways I can help:

1. Catch me on the Soulful MBA podcast later this week – click here to subscribe and get the episode as soon as it comes out.

2. Learn how to get the clients you want, without feeling salesy, in 10 weeks
If you’re a smart, driven woman who wants to get clients for your business, but you’ve never had to sell before, you can finally learn how to do it in just 10 weeks. And you’ll learn alongside other badass women like you. Just send me a message with “10 weeks” in the subject line and I’ll get you the details.



3. Work with me privately
If you’d like to work directly with me to learn how to sell, get paid more, and get the clients you really want… just send me a message and put “Private” in the subject line. Tell me a little about your business and what you’re struggling with when it comes to selling, and I’ll get you all the details.

Hey! Today we’re talking about finding your personal selling style, and the style most business owners want to avoid: the cheesy salesperson. And I give you 3 steps to help you avoid it – Read on.

—

I screened his call again.

It was Brian the sales guy. I met him at a conference where he was selling marketing software, and from what I had seen, it was actually great software.

But talking to Brian was such a turnoff. Why? Because he was just so… cheesy.

Glad-handing, “Hey laaaadiesss”, cheesy.

I didn’t buy the software.

—

Fast forward to a few years ago. I had just started my sales coaching business, and I looked around at the other sales coaches out there.

Too-enthusiastic guys yelling into their webinars.
Bodycon dresses and deep, cleavage-baring necklines.
Ultra girly, selling “the feminine way” or some sh*t like that.

It was cheesy AF.

(I have a low tolerance for cheesy, can you tell?)

—

But these are the salespeople that most people see.

So it’s no wonder that the #1 fear I hear from business owners is:

“Do I have to be a cheesy salesperson?”

Let me answer that question once and for all: NO.

—

There’s no one-size-fits-all way to sell. There are as many selling styles as there are people. You just have to find yours. 

What do I mean by selling style? It’s the way you approach potential clients. It’s your brand and what you stand for. It’s your tone of voice in emails, and how you move potential clients from the first contact to a successful close.

Your selling style is personal, and it’s totally unique to you. And that’s the way it should be.

Because if you’re going to sign clients successfully, you first have to be comfortable with yourself. And to be comfortable, you have to act however feels right to you.

If you’re comfortable, your prospects will be comfortable. And people like to buy from people they’re comfortable with.

So if you don’t want to be a cheesy salesperson, guess what. You don’t have to be.

Now, don’t get me wrong. If bodycon dresses are your thing, more power to you. I’ll be over here in my skinny jeans and Bucketfeet shoes.

—

If you’re worried about coming off as cheesy, or salesy, or anything other selling style that you don’t like, I recommend taking a few steps:

Step 1) Follow people online and keep track of what you like and don’t like. What do you like, and why? What don’t you like, and why? Some tactics, and some people’s styles, just won’t fit with you. Selling is about finding YOUR style. Not someone else’s style.

Step 2) Learn the basics, then layer your style onto it.

Sara Bareilles learned basic guitar chords, then found her unique voice.
Diane Von Furstenberg learned how to cut and sew first, then later she developed her signature look.
Chef Christina Tosi learned how to make a cake, then she developed her unique pastry style.

The point: once you learn the basics, it frees you up to explore your unique style.

So once you learn HOW to sell: how to message your business. How to get leads. How to adopt a peer mindset with your prospects. How to price yourself, and write killer proposals. How to negotiate, and so on…

Then you can bring your unique style to it. Then it becomes yours.

Step 3) Learn from someone whose style matches yours.

Of course, I’ll always invite you to work with me if you like my style. BUT what’s more important is that you work with SOMEONE.

Find someone whose style you love, and learn from them. I want every woman business owner to learn how to sell, so she can make crazy money and rule her world. Even if you’re not learning from me.

Because once you learn how to sell in a way that WORKS and feels comfortable to you — your personal selling style — you’ll be unstoppable.

To your success,

Leah

P.S. Whenever you’re ready to find your personal selling style that feels right and WORKS to get you the clients you want, here are three ways I can help: