Give it more juice

Leah Neaderthal 0:02

It's challenging, but stick with it. Try everything you know. Make sure that if you get to the point where you're like, I don't this is working, make sure you can answer the question like, Have I tried everything? Welcome to the smart gets paid podcast with me. Leah Neaderthal, I help women land higher paying clients in their independent consulting businesses, but I've never been a salesperson. My background is in corporate marketing, and when I started my first consulting business, I learned pretty quickly that it's about 1000 times harder to sell your own stuff than it is to sell someone else's. So I taught myself how to do it, and I created the sales approach that I now share with my clients so they can feel more comfortable in the sales process. Get more of the right clients and get paid way more for every client contract. So whether your client contracts are $5,000 $100,000 or more, if you want to work with more of the clients you love, do more of the work you love, and get paid more than you ever thought you could, then you're in the right place. Let's do it together. Thanks for tuning in, and don't forget to rate, review and share. Hey there, Leah here, and thanks for tuning in. I hope that wherever you're listening to this, wherever you are right now, I hope you're having a great week, making some good progress in your business and taking some time for you. So my very, very first business, which I don't talk about a lot on this podcast, my very, very first business, was actually not my consulting business. It was something I started even earlier, and it was called the chain link. It was an online community for Chicago cyclists. Think, sort of like, pre Facebook, think, like, very, very grassroots, and it was, like, really successful. It ended up growing, at least when I was running it, to about 10,000 members. And it's funny, because I've been saying for years that I wanted to do an episode about it, because it was such a wild ride, and I learned so much. But for now, I'm not going to go into everything here. For now, here's what you need to know. So at the time, I was running it, mostly solo, with the help of a woman who had kind of stepped up as a sort of volunteer. She was just really enthusiastic about it. And so, you know, I let her, like, help, and she was like an unpaid volunteer, but really, really involved. And then, after a few years of running this community, I decided to leave Chicago and travel the world with my then partner. And I left like, kind of suddenly, like in terms of the chain link, I didn't really have a transition plan. I didn't give this woman who had been helping me, I didn't give her much guidance, and I really didn't put anything in place around compensation, even though she was essentially like stepping into a job running this organization. And to be honest, I mean, at that point, I was feeling kind of done with the whole thing. And once we were on the road, like traveling, I don't know, I guess I just wasn't really all that into it, and wasn't super responsive. I wasn't really engaging, and I certainly wasn't leading. This was not my proudest moment. Okay, this is definitely not my best look. And then a few months into the trip, the woman who had been helping me reached out and said she wanted to buy it from me, and I was open to it, like, you know, I'm into it, but again, I can't say I was very responsive. And she and her lawyer sent over these terms and, you know, some emails, and I just kind of, like dragged my feet, like I wasn't, again, not super responsive, not my best look. And then after a few months of, you know, that process, I got the email. It was the email that basically said, like, if you don't respond and agree to these terms, then we're going to move forward and pay you a lot less. I mean, it was like, you know, not those words exactly, but like, legally, that was the vibe. And I got pissed. I got fired up. I started imagining all the ways that I could fight it. I could take the site back. I could, you know, make them regret ever sending that email. I was feeling hurt, betrayed, defensive, like I had a whole mental list of like, what I was going to do now to, like, take it back. And so I called my dad, and I told him what was happening and what I was planning to do. And I remember so clearly, like, I can actually picture where I was when he said this. But he said to me, Leah, if you had put this same energy in before, you wouldn't be in this position. Just agree to the terms and walk away. And he was right. I hadn't put in the energy, like, not when it counted, and now I was really paying the price. And so I did end up agreeing to the terms and walking away. And it was a big lesson to put in the energy when it counts, at the beginning, not just at the end. And I thought about that experience as we were working on this episode, because this conversation is kind of about that exact idea. It's the energy you put into something. Thing before. In this case, before you know whether it's going to work. In this episode, I'm talking to a client who was coming back to consulting. She had an idea for, you know, a new direction, and she was excited about it, but she told me it wasn't working. And as you'll hear, I challenged her a little bit on what it really means to put energy and effort in, and what's you know, enough air quotes, enough and what's not. So as you're listening, I want you to think about your own business all right, and what that might mean for you. So let's get into it. I want to send a huge thank you to my client for allowing me to share this conversation with you. Take a listen, and at the end, I'll come back and share a lesson that you can apply to your business right after this.

Speaker 1 5:47

So there's a lot I wanted to kind of get your thoughts on today. But I think the biggest thing which often happens to me with the big ideas that I'm forming in my head is I'm I've gone back to the original idea, right? And I always say, Listen to your intuition. She's always right. The original idea is usually the right one, but sometimes it needs to mer for a while. So I was like, You know what? I've been throwing darts at a board, trying some things out, and I think that's okay, but I've gone back to the original business idea, and I think I was really getting caught up in kind of where consulting is right now and constant comparison to everybody else, because every third person is a consultant now, and everybody is seems to be doing a better job than me on LinkedIn. So I think as I've I've struggled with as I'm building my business, because this is the second time I've launched a consulting business in my career. I started 20 years things are so different. Now. The market is different, right? There's so many consultants now, and I didn't have to niche as narrowly and with such clarity earlier that I do now. So that has been a struggle. And then I think the enormity of the market disruption to the sector where I'm focused it in has really, I think, reinforced that second guessing and that, let's, let's pivot and try some new things, because there's a lot of things I could do, is the other thing. So I think that's where I I'll try some things, and I'll get excited about that idea, and I'll get really precious about the idea, versus really just staying true and grounded to one idea and seeing it through within market environment.

Leah Neaderthal 7:47

What do you hope to gain from this session?

Speaker 1 7:51

If possible, I'd love to to kind of dive into kind of a few, a core set of questions, because as as somebody who's been advising consultants for as long as you have, and also is knee deep in the challenge, the inherent challenges right now of launching a consulting business, when are the best moments to is the market telling me to pivot, or is it just the market's going to take longer? And so I think I'm, I've got a big fear of missing out too, because I'm, no matter what I'm trying, and this is where I go down a rabbit hole, no matter what I'm trying, I'm not getting the response. And so I'll just change the words. So I need to just like, get the right words right.

Leah Neaderthal 8:36

Yeah, what? One thing I just want to point out is, I think one mistake that most consultants make, or really any business owner, so you're certainly not not alone, is not giving it enough time. Yes, thank you. Like I am, I am in my 10th year of my business, and let's say, like the third year of having messaging, that sort of is in this vein that I've been using, and I feel like it's just hitting its stride, and I have a good reach and a sophisticated marketing operation, yeah, right. And so I to hear you say, you know, I feel like it's not working. I i i bet that you haven't given it enough time or given it enough juice. Yeah, I think you're fair. Totally fair, yeah. And

Speaker 1 9:30

I Yes. And, you know, the the corresponding question I have, you know, as we as business owners build up and give the business space and time to start getting that traction. I'm getting mixed, mixed responses to what are the lowest risk in air quotes, the lowest. Risk opportunities I have to generate income and pay the bills while I'm building it up that don't sabotage this. So as you're as you're advising consultants to, like, Give it time. Are there types of things you would caution them to steer clear of to pay the bills in this weird, social media driven business development world we're in now.

Leah Neaderthal 10:30

Well, and I think that's fair, you know, like, it's hard to say, like, give a time when you know you don't have four years to, like, pay your mortgage or whatever, right? And I'm saying it's not gonna take that long anyway, but I think it's, it's not just time you have to give it juice, you know, like, you really have to put it out there, and you really have to, like, get it in front of people, start talking about it, like, reach out to everybody, you know. Yeah, you know, the same way you would if you were starting a new business. Like, I'm trying to think of like, the things that we tell people to do, like in our marketing system, like, create a lead magnet, try to build your list all these things, because here's, here's what happens. It's like, most people will say, like, you know, they'll be like, well, I, you know, I sent an email and I posted about it a few times on LinkedIn, and it's not working. And what I would want to hear, and this is, I mean, just to sort of give you an insight into my internal narrative, like I even in the times when, and there have been times when this business was sort of struggling, and I was like, Have I want to, I want to be able to say, I have tried everything, yeah, I have tried everything. And so you, you have to give it juice and time, right? Like, do push it, you know, and then you could be like, I'm just not getting a response, yeah, I'm just not getting any interest whatsoever, you know. Because, because then, you know, then if you just sort of start changing text, or, you know, changing your positioning or whatever, and you still don't give a juice, yeah? And then, like, it, because that's a, that's a completely, you know, my it's a complete self fulfilling prophecy, right? Because, like, the changes that you make on your website, for example, and I know I'm getting on a soapbox here, but it's like the changes you make on your website are hidden to everybody. You know, like your website is like a corner of dark corner of the internet that nobody comes to, right, you know, or the changes that you make to your services on a Google Doc or, you know, whatever, even all of that is that's not actually doing anything to get it out right, right? So I know you're with me on this. I just, you know, feel like it again. I'm sort of on my soapbox here. But so things not to do, I think your question was, like, things not to do, don't assume, like, just remember that you have to do so much more to get it out there than you think, because nobody's paying attention. Yeah, and because I've

Speaker 1 13:22

one of my friends reminded me of this. And, you know, the thing is, is, like, I'm in marketing, these are, this is how I advise my clients, and it's so hard to apply it to yourself. I'm seeing the obvious, obvious. But I was like, Well, you know, I put out all these social posts and I'm not getting traction. She's like, it doesn't mean they don't like it. It might not be getting in their queue. I'm like, oh, yeah, algorithms, right. So

Leah Neaderthal 13:44

there's the algorithm, there's the fact that, you know, people have no attention span whatsoever. And you know, it's funny how even people like us who, like, totally get marketing. You want something to you want to put something out there and get a response. Yeah, right? You want people to, like, reach out to you and be like, this really got me thinking, and I'd love to work with you, or whatever. Our brains know that, like, it's gonna take like, 100 touch points, yeah, or even somebody to pay attention. And yet we, you know, our hearts are like, but Can somebody please tell me that I I'm doing the right things. I'm pretty I know, right? And so, and you know, with that, we talk about this all the time in our on our LinkedIn system, but 99 point, let's say 890, 9.8% of people are going to be lurkers, right? They are people who will see your stuff and never do anything. That doesn't mean they're not reading, that doesn't mean they're not following along there doesn't that doesn't mean that what you've said isn't sort of hitting them somehow, and they're currently being warmed up. Yeah, you know, they're in some sort of education process with you and about you, but they'll never do anything. So you'll never get that pause. Reinforcement until the moment that they just something you post is, is the thing? Is the thing that gets them to say, okay, now's the time. And so it's, it's challenging, but I so I want to caution you, like, stick with it. Try everything you know. Make sure that if you get to the point where you're like, I don't this is working, make sure you can answer the question like, Have I tried everything? Yeah, I really appreciate

Speaker 1 15:29

everything you're saying. I just want to state that. And I think that that reminder as well, that I need to give it everything. And everything means that juice, it means the time, the persistence and that courageousness and talking about it and not worrying when it doesn't hit the mark. You know, if I don't get the engagement or whatever, it doesn't mean it. It's not resonating,

Leah Neaderthal 15:56

right? Right?

Speaker 1 15:59

Because when I started, it felt like such a moment of clarity, but also a sense of freedom. And it's mostly it's not the freedom of being a business owner, it's the being It's the freedom of talking courageously about my point of view that I've kind of kept close to the best because I was always afraid of what my employer would say about it, and I feel you inviting me back to that courage. So thank you. And I think that that reminder as well that I need to give it everything, and everything means that juice. It means the time, the persistence and that courageousness and talking about it and not worrying when it doesn't hit the mark. You know, if I don't get the engagement or whatever, it doesn't mean it, it's not resonating.

Leah Neaderthal 16:58

All right, so that conversation you just heard that's that's a good one, and I wanted to share it because there are two big truths in there that I really want you to hear. The first is, you know, probably not unsurprisingly, your business and getting clients, you need to give it more juice. But the second is that you've probably been misled about how much juice getting clients actually takes so let's take that first one. A lot of women consultants think they're giving their business juice, you know, like they think they're really in it. But from where I sit, having talked to hundreds of women consultants, I can tell you, most women aren't giving it as much juice as they think they are. You know, maybe you've been working really hard on your client work, sure, but not working hard on your business and getting clients. And I know that because when I ask, you know, in our early conversations, so you know, what have you been doing to get clients? I usually hear something like, Well, you know, I've been posting on LinkedIn, here and there, or I'm doing some networking, or, you know, honestly, sometimes I just hear not a whole lot. And if that's you, you know, first of all, thank you for your honesty. Because if you can say I haven't really been doing much of anything, or I haven't been doing enough of anything, then we have something to work with. That's when we can really start to make a change. And the other way I know that most consultants aren't giving it enough juice is when we get into their what we call the sustainable marketing strategy in the academy. That's how we take the tools that they have in their toolbox, the marketing tools like posting on LinkedIn or shoulder taps or what have you, and put it into a framework that allows them to dial up or down the level of activity based on what's going on in their business. And you know, in their world, that's how you're able to be consistent with marketing and not have just random fits and starts or random acts of marketing. So in the sustainable marketing strategy, we define three modes of marketing activity. There's maintenance mode, which is the marketing activities you do from day to day or week to week, when things are like, you know, just humming along in your business. Simmer mode is the marketing that you do when you need to dial things down. Maybe you're really busy with client work, or you have heavy travel, or what have you. And the third is power mode, which is the set of activities and the frequency of those activities that you do when you maybe want to make something happen, or you need to make something happen from, you know, client wise, one idea that becomes clear in all this is that you can't stay in power mode forever, like you can't run a whole marathon at a sprint, right? But when you want to or need to get a client, or clients, you have power mode that you can turn up the gas on, right? And so when Academy members get to this strategy and they complete this exercise, the most common thing I hear from them is, I thought I was in power mode, but I really was in simmer mode, which essentially means, you know, I thought I was doing a whole lot of things, but in reality, I wasn't doing much at all. And that's when the real light bulb goes off. Mm. Yeah, because if you want results in your business, you know, especially in that messy middle phase where referrals aren't just falling into your lap anymore, you have to be able to say, I'm doing everything I can. But if we're being real, a lot of women consultants are out there in simmer mode and then saying it didn't work. And I want to be like, ooh. Like, did you try that hard again? Not on the client work, but on building the business. Like, just imagine that you don't give your business the juice it needs, right? And then you have to go back and get a job. Like, can you imagine a scenario in which you work harder to get a job than you did to get clients in your business? I mean, that's kind of like me at the beginning, right? Like working so hard once I got mad that, you know this negotiation wasn't going that great, versus working hard to transition it and keep it in the first place. And I'm not saying that you have to do all the things, but a few strategies done well and executed consistently and continually making them better. That's the juice. And listen, I know you have it in you, like you know how to try hard if you're in the Academy right now, I'm not talking to you right, but it's not uncommon for me to see that for a lot of women out there, you probably tried harder in high school calculus than you've been trying to get clients in your business right now. That's not a judgment, that's just an observation. And there's this quote I've heard recently from Alex hormozi, who I have thoughts about him, right? But occasionally he says something worth repeating. And he said in a recent podcast, he said, most of the time we know what we're supposed to do, we just aren't doing it. You know what to do. You know that already, and yet you haven't begun, because you haven't really tried. And if you're like most consultants, you've done some things, you've probably been in simmer mode. And what's also likely is that you've been thinking about it, maybe talking about it, or reading about it, or downloading things, or listening to podcasts like this one, and learning, learning, learning, right? One of the coaches in my program calls that edge, Accra st nation, using learning as a way to avoid doing. But when you do have a strategy and you do apply yourself, I mean, the progress you can make is huge. So No, I'm not saying that you haven't done anything, and the work you have done isn't wasted, but if you want different results, you've got to give it more juice. And that brings me to the second big truth from this episode, getting clients and growing your business takes more juice than you think, and it takes more than you've been led to believe. I mean, that part that's not on you, that's on the hundreds, maybe 1000s, of business coaches, marketing coaches, copywriting coaches, branding coaches, online gurus, et cetera, you name it. Who've made you think that getting clients should be easy, you know, send this one email, use this one funnel, and then, you know, bam, you've got a full pipeline. One of the worst offenders I've seen was this headline from a big name business coach who I'm not gonna name here, but the subject of this email was, I'm gonna read it, I made 100k from one email. I mean, come on. I know this woman. I've been watching her business for probably 10 years now, and saying something like, I made 100k from one email is putting out there a promise that people who are just getting started or haven't run the business that she has cannot replicate. And for consultants, it's completely unreasonable. And if you haven't yet listened to Episode 121 where I go into that a little bit more, go do that next, because it's a perfect example of that false narrative that makes so many women feel like they're doing something wrong because the little that they've been doing isn't yielding good results, when really they just haven't been told the truth. So here is the truth. It's not supposed to be easy, you know, at least not once you're past that startup phase, when you're still riding that wave of referrals from people who knew you from before. In that early phase, sure, you email some people, you get a few clients, maybe you send an announcement email, and the work just kind of rolls in. But that doesn't last. And even if you know that intellectually, like in your heart, you kind of hope it does last, and so then when it stops working, and you really have to start working for it, it feels like something's wrong, like it shouldn't be this hard. And that's where the frustration comes in, the resentment, you know, I've heard so many women say to me, like, shouldn't this be easier? Or when is this going to take off? Which, you know, the concept of, quote, unquote, taking off is another business coach trope. Or they'll say, if I'm so smart, like, why should this be so hard? And you are smart, but that feeling, that resentment is because of a mismatch between expectations and reality, and a lot of people out there are giving a lot of women. And business owners completely unrealistic expectations, but when you know what it takes and when you have the right expectations, then you can implement strategies and systems that actually help you be successful, not just for the quick wins, but for the long term. And that's what we do in the academy. It's not about, you know, do this tactic and you get clients, we help you implement the two systems that every consultant needs, a marketing system to bring the right potential clients into your orbit, and a sales system to help you lead a sales process and help clients say yes, so you can give it the right amount of juice to actually get you the clients and build the business that you want. So know what's actually required, know the amount of juice it takes and then give it more juice. That's how you build a profitable, sustainable business. So if you've been coasting in simmer mode, this is your invitation to turn it up and give it more juice. All right, I'll see you next time.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai