Leah Neaderthal

Today we’re tackling the mindset part of increasing your sales.

The Ghosts of Corporate Past: Why being an entrepreneur means un-learning old lessons

When I left the corporate world to start my own company, I thought I was prepared to take on this new challenge. Little did I know that if I was going to be successful, I would have to un-learn so many old corporate lessons.

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It was the year I realized I didn’t know how to sell

I spent the first years of my corporate career in marketing.

I worked at two multinational advertising agencies, a small tech company, and a national PR firm.

When I went out on my own with my first company, and even though I had been in marketing, I realized a hard truth: I didn’t know how to sell to new clients. I clammed up in sales conversations. I didn’t know how to move the sales process along. I Selling in any form felt gross and, well, sales-y. I always felt like I was begging for the business.

I just couldn’t do it.

I even went back and got an office job, just so I could avoid selling.

But six months in, I decided to recommit to my business, overcome my fears, and really learn how to sell.

 

My first step towards learning how to sell: I started paying attention to my speech

As part of that process, I started paying attention to how I felt talking to clients, even down the words I was using.

What I discovered surprised me.

I realized that in my writing and speech, I was incredibly deferential. It went beyond simply being respectful. Through language, I was subtly communicating that I was below my prospects; my prospects were above me. I learned that in social dynamics terms, this is called being in a “one-down” position.

 

“Dear Joe…”

“Thanks so much for taking the time for a call…”

“I would love the opportunity to…”

 

I was one-downing myself all over the place.

It wasn’t a speech issue. It was how I felt inside.

I realized that this wasn’t just a language problem. Inside, I really did feel powerless.

No wonder I felt uncomfortable in sales conversations.

I decided to approach my prospects differently

I made a point to change my mindset and approach my prospects as a peer. I reminded myself that I do great work and that work yields incredible results for my clients. I have something of tremendous value to offer. This became my mantra.

I also stopped being deferential and started writing as a peer.

 

“Dear Joe,” became “Hi Joe,”

 

“Thanks so much for taking the time for a call…” became “Thanks for a great call!”

“I would love the opportunity to work with you…” became “I can’t wait to help you start fixing this problem…”

I wove this new approach into my personal selling style. Since adopting this approach, not only have I seen a 92% win rate for new clients, but I’ve built respectful relationships as a peer to my clients. I work WITH them instead of FOR them, and I no longer feel like I’m begging for their business.

I had shed one of my ghosts of corporate past.

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Nearly every entrepreneur faces their own ghosts of corporate past

 

I started thinking more about why I stumbled so much in those first years of my business. And I discovered it’s because I grew up in the corporate world.

Those first several years in corporate life are an incredibly formative time. You’re entering a new, complex world; navigating the customs and people in it; and developing the thoughts, habits, and mindsets necessary for success.

Take me, for example.

I had years of training in the corporate hierarchy, knowing my rank within the corporate universe, and how to work with managers, directors, and executives.

Later, when I started my own business, I entered a totally different world, but I brought those mindsets, strategies, and tools I honed so carefully over the years.

What I discovered over time, however, is what every entrepreneur realizes: what you learned in the corporate world, these ghosts of corporate past, can actually work against you when you’re running your own business.

To be successful as an entrepreneur, it means un-learning those early lessons.

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If you do too, you’re not alone

Now, as you know, I work with women entrepreneurs like you who struggle with the same thing: selling to new clients. They are consultants, coaches, and creatives who have honed their expertise in the corporate world, taken a leap, and started their own businesses. In their new role as business owners, they’re now tasked with something they’ve never done before.

I help them learn how to sign new clients, even if (and especially if) selling makes them feel uncomfortable, using the same approach that made me successful.

But they can’t fully step into the role of a business owner without shining a light on their ghosts of corporate past and un-learning those lessons that no longer serve them in their new role.

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I asked some of my fellow entrepreneurs about their ghosts. Here’s what they had to say:

Stop asking permission

“One of the things I struggled with is permission — asking myself if I’m allowed to do what I want to do because it might not be the “right” way. What right way?! I’m the boss! There is no right way.”

– Lindsey Liu, Lindsey Christine Coaching

 

Don’t let process slow you down

“I had to learn that I don’t always need an 80-page document on how to do things, but that I can let processes build up naturally over time. This is not to say they aren’t important; just that you don’t need the same level of documentation as in corporate.”

– Heather O’Neill, Pixels for Humans

 

Be unapologetically yourself

“I had to shift from not expressing personal opinions/affiliations that might be perceived as reflecting on the company, to really being able to choose to be a businessperson who demonstrably lives their values & conducts business accordingly.”

Agnes Barton-Sabo, Betty Turbo

 

Don’t be nice. Be bold.

“I had to unlearn being ridiculously nice. Being overly nice in business gives off the “I’m just happy to be here…I’ll take what I can get” mentality, and that is exactly how you will be treated. It looks desperate and it allows for people to walk all over you. Now that I run my own business, I approach being nice in a different way. I love working with people in my community, however, I don’t let anyone mistake my kindness for weakness. Don’t be nice. Be bold.”

– Ebone Bell, Tagg Magazine

 

Create your personal brand

“One of the biggest challenges I faced when leaving the corporate world to go into business for myself was the realization that I no longer had the cache of the large companies I had been working for, and I had to build my brand and reputation from the ground up.

Now when I coach entrepreneurs, I encourage them to invest in building their personal brand. It’s a worthwhile investment that will fast-track your visibility and accelerates your professional credibility. So when people search for you, they will see that you are established, trustworthy, credible and an expert in your industry, all on your own.”

– Kim Cayce, Luna Venture Partners

 

It’s OK to say No

“It took me a while to learn it’s OK to fire clients who aren’t good fit because I was thinking I needed the money. Once I realized that I could choose my clients and not just work with anyone who wanted to hire me, I found it easier to write the words that respectfully terminated those toxic relationships. I even got a recommendation from one of the clients I had to fire who wasn’t a good fit.”

– Sarah Worthy, Doorspace Inc.


 

The client isn’t always right

“I had to unlearn that the client is always right and that you need to bend over backwards for them, giving up your personal and emotional well being. Having left the corporate world, my clients are my community. Sometimes we aren’t a good fit for each other, but more often than not, we respect the fact that we are each fallible, limited, and fantastic creatures who are worthy of great work and compassion.”

– Angela Lynn, Radiant Marketing

 

Set the right expectations

“When I was in corporate we were known for responding FAST to our customers. Really fast – everything stopped for us to address a question. In retrospect, I realized we had trained them to have those expectations of us. As a business owner, I learned to establish clear expectations right at the beginning so that the client didn’t have unrealistic expectations of how we’d work together.”

– Lisa Guida, WhyLeap Alliance


 

Stop seeking approval

“Back when I was in the corporate world I wanted people to validate my hard work by praising me, promoting me, or giving me a raise. Nowadays all I have to do is approve of myself and when I want a raise all I have to do is increase pricing!”

– Melanie Adcock, Writer

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Now it’s your turn

What are your ghosts of corporate past? What did you learn in the corporate world that you’ve had to un-learn as a business owner? Send me an email and let me know!

It’s one of the first things we learn growing up: The Golden Rule.

You remember it, right? “Do unto others what you would have them do unto you.”

And for most situations in our lives, it provides a tremendously helpful guidepost of how we should act.

 

That’s why I’d like to use it as a guide for a NEW type of Golden Rule. This time for entrepreneurs.

“Do for yourself what you’re doing for others.”

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How many of us do incredible work for our clients, but we don’t do that same incredible work for ourselves? If you’re smiling right now, you’re not alone.

Here’s how a few of my clients describe it:

“When I think about my PR business, it’s not that I don’t have confidence that I can do a great job. But when it comes to talking about myself, I just feel… it’s so hard to talk about yourself when… I mean I can do it for other people a million times over. But to talk about myself? It feels so… uncomfortable.”

“I’m not really clear on my messaging, which really totally kills me because I literally help my clients with theirs.”

My friend Courtney is an incredible web designer. The last time I asked her for her website, she said, “Ugh, I just can’t seem to put it together.”

Entrepreneurs are the ultimate cobblers’ kids.

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Why do we do such amazing work for our clients, but we don’t — or really, we can’t — do that same work on our own businesses?

 

It’s not because we don’t have the ability. Every entrepreneur I know is a freaking badass at what they do.

And it’s not because we don’t want to. How many times have you stared at your own stuff trying to WILL it to be better?

No, it’s not either of those.

It’s because of our blind spots.

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Blind spots are areas where vision is hindered. You might know that something is there, but you can’t exactly see it.

And why is it a blind spot, at least in an entrepreneur’s world? Because we’re too close.

About 6 months ago, I discovered a huge blind spot.

I was about to launch my program SIGNED. I had the program all mapped out. I had the sales page ready. I was so excited about getting it out there.

All I had to do was write the emails to announce it. That’s when things came to a screeching halt.

I was looking at a blank sheet of paper thinking, “What do I even say?” And I’m someone who writes one email a week! But I had nothing.

I was too close.

I kept staring at that blank sheet of paper. I stared at it for 6 weeks.

That’s when I decided that this was ridiculous. I was done being stuck.

I reached out to a business coach I knew and set up our first session. In that call and the ones that followed, he identified why I was stuck, offered a different way of approaching my launch, and gave me a plan and some homework.

When I sat down again to write my launch emails, it was totally different. The words just flowed.

All because I had gotten coaching through my blind spot.

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I’ve written before about getting support to get you where you want to go. It’s just as important to get support to dissolve the things that are holding you back. Your blind spots.

And it doesn’t have to be me, either. I’m all about support, wherever you find it. Connect with a mentor, join a mastermind, start a group.

But if you think I can provide you the support you need for your business, and you’ve been thinking about working with me, now is the time. SIGNED is open now –  If you’d like to work with me, you can find it here.

 

Don’t take it from me – here’s what one of my clients had to say:

“Leah coaches me in my business blind spots. Before working with her, I’d heard my share of catchphrases for small businesses. The practices and principles Leah has taught me encourage me to “lead with my chest” and embrace “a millionaire’s mindset” as I take LEADright to “the next level” of business growth and development. These once-empty catchphrases now resonate with deep personalized meaning.

Leah has helped me tell my story and that of my consulting firm in a clear relatable way. The time we have spent crafting messages is a worthy investment. It is great that I am making this investment now as I build my pipeline and attract more clients.”

 

So here’s what you can do now.

First, take stock of your blind spots. Where do you wish your business could improve, but you just can’t get there because you’re too close?

Second, find a coach, resource, or group to help you move past your blind spots.

Third, if you’d like to work with me, sign up for SIGNED. Check out FAQ, and if it sounds like a good fit, sign up.

Let’s see if we can make this new Golden Rule a reality:

“Do for yourself what you’re doing for others.”

 

To your success,

Leah

What does “great money” mean to you?

I’m not just talking about OK money. Or good money.

But great money.

When I’ve asked other entrepreneurs, I’ve gotten a range of responses. Maybe one of these resonates with you.

Sometimes it means financial success:

• Being able to take my family on vacation.
• Making enough to put a down payment on a house.
• “Great money” means I can paying off my student loans.
• Fully funding my SEP IRA.

Sometimes it’s about quality of life:

• Great money means I don’t have to work all the time just to cover my expenses.
• It means I can take on fewer clients and have more time to myself.
• It means I get to choose the clients I want to work with.

And other times, making great money is about how it makes you feel:

• It means I don’t feel as anxious about my finances.
• It means I can stop wondering whether I should go back and get a job.
• Great money means I don’t have to doubt myself as an entrepreneur.

 

Here’s my question for you: What does “great money” mean to you?

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Between you and me, I think a lot of business coaches are wrong about how to increase your revenue.

They start with a “clients first” approach.

You’ve probably seen it: It starts with, “I’ll help you get more clients…”. That translates to jamming your calendar with more clients and more work.

The problem is that when you’re an entrepreneur, everything is connected. You can’t just get a ton of new clients without it affecting your time, and by extension, your life. What’s the point of making more money if you’re working all the time?

That’s why it’s not just about getting more clients.

If you’re really going to grow your revenue in a way that’s significant and sustainable, you have to know how to sell, and you have to look at what happens after the sale.

• Building your sales pipeline, so you don’t feel desperate to say yes to low-paying clients.
• Charging a premium fee and getting away from charging hourly, so you’re making more money on each project.
• Learning how to have masterful sales conversations, so you’re building the relationship and moving the opportunity to close.
• Knowing what potential clients to go after and what to say no to.
• Negotiating like a badass so that you never discount again.
• Turning your awesome work into referrals and upsells.

That’s why SIGNED isn’t like those “get more clients” programs. It’s about helping you make the money you want to make, however that looks for you.

Whether that’s getting 5-figures more for every project, finally hitting the revenue number you’ve been dreaming about, or making just a little more money, but working a whole lot less.

The first thing we’ll do is dive into what your goals are. Then we’ll map out a personalized plan to get you there. Throughout the program, we’ll revisit it to make sure you’re on track.

Along the way, you’ll learn a proven framework for growing your revenue, get personalized coaching from me, and get support from your tribe.

This is what we’ll work on in SIGNED, and how we’ll get you from good money to great money.

If you’re a woman entrepreneur who wants to start making great money this year (in whatever way that means to you), SIGNED is specially designed for you. Let’s build your business together. See you over there!

If you joined my Facebook Live today, thanks so much for tuning in as I announced my new coaching program! I’m still buzzing from the announcement and I wanted to officially send you the details and application, below.

(If you missed it, you can catch the replay by clicking here)

In the FB Live I shared the details of my new coaching intensive for consultants, coaches, and other expertise-based business owners.

If you want 2018 to be the year you make more money in your business, get your business into a flow, and finally make room in your life for the things that matter to you, this program is for you.

It’s called Mastermind 37, or M37 for short.

Why M37?

Because 63% of business owners are working more than 50 hours per week. I want you to be among the 37% that don’t.

Mastermind 37 isn’t just a coaching program, it’s my goal for you.

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M37 focuses on the three most important parts of your business: YOU, YOUR CLIENTS, and THE WORK.

When you strip away everything else, these are the only three things that matter.

You: Being purposeful about where you want to take your business, charting a course to get there, owning your awesomeness, and discarding the limiting beliefs that are holding you back.

Your Clients: Being able to attract new clients, command the sales process, consistently move them from the first contact to a successful close, and command a premium fee for your work.

The Work: Being able to deliver the work in a way that doesn’t overwhelm you, making the admin side of your business run smoothly, and using your incredible work to drive referrals and upsells.

(Head over to the FB Live to hear why these are the only ones that matter.)

In M37, you’ll work directly with me on each of these three areas so each one is optimal and working for you. When that happens, you’re able to make the money you want to make, be in control of your time, and live the life you envisioned when you first left corporate and started your own business. This is what M37 will do.

And you’ll work with other badass women business owners like you, running their expertise-based businesses, struggling with the same things you are, supporting you in our private community. M37 isn’t just your coaching program. It’s your tribe.

The next step: If you’re interested, fill out the brief application at this link. Then you’ll be invited to schedule a conversation with me.

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Oh! And one more thing.

In order to provide the best experience to my M37 participants, I’ll no longer be taking on new one-on-one clients. If you’d like to work with me, be sure to apply to M37. You can find the application at this link.

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Thanks for giving me the opportunity to make 2018 a fantastic year for you and your business!

To your success,

Leah

P.S. If you know of 1-2 other consultants or coaches who might be interested in M37, connect us via email at leah@growthworkssolutions.com.