CX Fanatics Podcast

Which Lead Magnet Should I Use For My Service Based Business

This week on the 2nd Act Entrepreneurs Show learn how to choose the best lead magnet for your business to grow your email list and also increase sales.
In case you are new, thanks for joining me today. I’m Alisa Conner, and I help 2nd Act Entrepreneurs grow their businesses using the power of email marketing.
Before we dive into this week’s show, be sure to stay with me until the end, because I’ve included a bonus for you.
📧📧📧Need some help with your email marketing so that you see sales from your efforts? The Email Breakthrough Academy gives you the step-by-step solution to supercharge your email marketing. Enrollment is open for a limited time here.📧📧📧
The first question most small businesses ask themselves when they are ready to start growing their email list is what kind of lead magnet should I create?
Then they typically go to work and create a lead magnet they think would be best for their audience.
They put hours into perfecting their lead magnet idea, struggling with tech, or spending thousands of dollars to get someone to get it up and running for them.
When in reality they could save themselves a TON of time and money by doing one simple thing.
Before we dive into that answer, let me give you a few examples.
Recently a new Mexican restaurant opened near my home. I received some glowing recommendations and even tips on what to order.
Being the foodie that I am I couldn’t wait to try it out.
I usually prep by checking out the menu online, briefly selecting a few things I might like to try, and then putting a pin in them so I can keep them top of mind when I get to the restaurant.
Imagine with me for a minute - I get to the restaurant, and they seat me right away without asking how many people are with me. Outside, even though it’s 90 degrees and I’m already roasting and then delivering a selection of items that I didn’t order.How do you think that would go over?
Yeah, like a lead balloon.
They don’t know what I want, they didn’t ask if I was hot and wanted to sit outside and they sat me by myself and I had friends joining me.
If this is how they ran their business, how long do you think they would stay in business? Not very long.
But, this is exactly what we do as entrepreneurs.
We create a lead magnet that we think will help our customers.
We create services that we know are in their best interest.
We sell them what we think they need.
Do you see the common problem here?
We aren’t asking them what their problem is, what would help them out the most or what no one else is providing them in regards to their problem.
Let me give you another example. I was lucky enough to work with a few hundred entrepreneurs as a copywriter in the capacity of promoting their coaching programs, book, or services on stages.
The problem is most of the people going through this program had created their business model without doing the research to see if anyone would be interested in purchasing what they were offering.
In essence, they just spent thousands of dollars to promote something that wasn’t even a proven concept yet.
I would nearly cringe when they came to me for help in writing their lead magnet, email series, or sales page copy and they couldn’t articulate in a couple of sentences who they helped and how they helped them.People buy solutions not suggestions.
One of the business owners that sticks in my mind to this day from that program was a positivity coach.
His experience was he pulled himself out of a negative mindset and he wanted to share his story.
Bravo and good work, but let’s be real for a minute - nobody is going to pay you to be more positive.
The internet is full of positive quotes, videos, books and audiobooks you can buy, free meditations, etc. If they really wanted to be more positive in their lives, they would just tune in to one of those resources.
But even those resources cannot force someone to be more positive. Why? Because it’s an inside job.
People will not buy the result of positivity for the simple reason that they can do it on their own.
That’s a harsh truth.
Now could you incorporate positivity into a different program that resolved a problem like mental health, weight loss, or entrepreneurship?
Abso-freaking-lutely.
But on its own, positivity is a recipe for failure.
The same goes for your lead magnet.
If you gave someone a list of 12 positive words to repeat every day but didn’t connect those words to why they are single and feeling alone and disconnected, then what good does it do?
Nobody wants a list of words when they are single. They want a date, or an idea of how to get a date, or better yet, how to improve themselves so that they are ready to date.
So instead of guessing about what to create, promote or sell - do one simple thing:
#1 - Ask people that would be your potential customer’s what they are struggling with and what they want to fix that struggle.
Then create something that helps with that.
#2 - Understand who you are talking to.
Don’t guess, but truly take the time to understand where they are, what their current situation is, and where they want to be.
If you create a 30-page e-book for your customer who is in sales, but they can’t even find time to read their emails, what are the odds they will have time to dig into that e-book? Slim to none.
If you create a record a meditation but no one in your audience meditates regularly, or they have no interest in your meditation topic - what are the odds they will download your free offer? Again, slim to none.
Give them a way to get some type of result. Even if it’s small. For example, if your audience struggles with a regular task and you create a checklist to ensure that task can be completed easily and quickly - they will gain trust in you.
Even better, brand the checklist, and every time they use it they will be reminded of you.
If you’ve stuck with me this long - thank you. I promised you a bonus at the end of this and we’ve reached that point.
Tune into the episode to listen to that bonus now!
📧📧📧Need some help with your email marketing so that you see sales from your efforts? The Email Breakthrough Academy gives you the step-by-step solution to supercharge your email marketing. Enrollment is open for a limited time here.📧📧📧
Until next week, be well, stay safe and take care!
~Alisa

142 How To Optimize Your Sale Funnel For Better Conversions Using Email Marketing

This episode is for 2nd Act Entrepreneurs who know they should be growing their email list but may be stuck somewhere along the way with getting people on their list.
 
But maybe you’ve forgotten why you want to grow your email list when what you’re really trying to do is get more customers.  Let’s take a look at buying behavior.  Less than 3% of people are actually ready to make a purchase when they come across your business.
 
That leaves 97% of people who either: 
Don’t know they need to fix the problem you solve (probably because the pain isn’t big enough yet) or
They have just started searching for solutions and aren’t ready to make a decision yet.
 
Both of these audiences are who to focus your email marketing efforts toward.  Because if you can stay in front of those people who are researching or haven’t been gobsmacked in the face with the problem yet - you have a HUGE opportunity to not only get more sales leads but also improve conversion rates for those that are in your email funnel.
 
Most people will stop at the first 3%.  But most sales transactions take at least 8 times of getting in front of someone before they even pay attention to you and another 4 follow-ups before they make a purchasing decision.
 
According to Brevet Email marketing is almost 40 times better at acquiring new customers than Facebook and Twitter.
 
40 TIMES.
One of the best ways to increase the number of people on your email list is by having an irresistible free download.  
 
If you have no idea what to create or have a lead magnet created and it just isn’t working join me for my upcoming LIVE training Create An Irresistible Lead Magnet That Works.  Walk away with the tools to create a lead magnet that grows your email list and your business.  Register at alisaconner.com/leads.
 
So how do we increase the number of people who grab our free download?  I’m glad you asked, let’s dive into 3 proven ways you can implement today to start increasing conversions.
 
1. Have a plan. 
You’ve likely heard that you need a marketing strategy.  But I recently read a statistic that 70% or more of marketers don’t have a marketing strategy.  And they are in the business.  
 
This is good news.  Because if you take the time to create a plan for your marketing, including growing your email list you will be further ahead than most marketers and you will more than likely also leave your competitors in the dust.
 
Instead of winging your marketing and trying to chase every tactic out there, create a logical path for your subscribers to follow so that they become customers.  Having a plan will increase your conversion rates and make your sales process more efficient and run smoothly.
 
2. Know your audience. 
As the internet becomes more crowded and information becomes more robust - specifically targeting your people is not optional.  Clarity cuts through the crowds and the noise and attracts the attention of your people like a lighthouse beacon in the dark.  Gaining clarity about your audience and their behaviors will not only help you stand out from others in your industry but it will also start to build trust between you and your potential customers.
 
Over 90% of buying decisions are emotional. 
Think about the last time you bought a car.  Did you go into the dealership knowing you wouldn’t buy and a car that didn’t have a sunroof?  Or did you go to the store with an idea of what you wanted, a list of features that you would like, and a price you were willing to pay?  
 
More than likely you had some ideas of what you wanted and then you walked into the dealership and were sucked in by the shimmering new cars, you sat in the car and smelled the new car smell, and then you got behind the wheel and started to imagine what it would feel like if you drove this car everyday.  Ultimately the buying decision came down to how you felt in the car.  The emotions you conjured, the image you would have, what your friends and family would think, etc.  The key word there is FEEL.    
 
Knowing your audience, you know how they feel, what they think, the image they want to reflect and ultimately how they want to be portrayed to the world.
 
These things will get you more leads and sales and improve your conversion rate for the simple reason that most people won’t take the time to get to know the people they want as customers at that level.  It’s the same reason that Ford, Tesla, BMW, Mercedes and the lot spend so much money on customer research, branding, advertising, and marketing.  There are big stakes in the automotive industry.
 
3. Give them something that they want. 
Most business owners do one of two things when it comes to creating a lead magnet to grow their email list.
They create a lead magnet based on their experience and what they think their audience needs, not what they want - or
They choose the easy and also the most ineffective way to gather email addresses and names, “sign up for my newsletter”.  Newsflash - nobody wants your newsletter.  They want their problem solved.
 
People don’t even want more emails in their inbox, what they want is guidance, help, and assistance in getting to the end of the pain they are experiencing because of their problem.
 
So many people entrepreneurs with creating an irresistible lead magnet, so if this is you - you are not alone. This is the exact reason why I created my upcoming training program - Create An Irresistible Lead Magnet That Works.
 
This LIVE session is coming up next week (at the time of this recording) and will teach you how to start growing your email list and your business by creating a lead magnet that attracts eyeballs and collects names and email addresses.
 
Register now at alisaconner.com/leads
 
Bonus Tip:
Don’t add people to your email list without permission.  Even if they are previous clients.  People are inundated with emails they don’t want.  You don’t want to be added to the list of people sent immediately to the trash or spam filter simply because your potential clients never asked to get emails from you.  There are other legal reasons to not do this, but the big one is - don’t bug people who didn’t ask to hear from you.  It’s slimy, poor business practice and you don’t want to be categorized with the slimy salespeople who buy email lists and then spam people. 
 
During the episode, I also mentioned Kajabi as a resource for creating your online program or membership.  If you want to check out Kajabi for your business's home base, you can get a free trial here.

How to Grow Your Email List Quickly and Effectively

During this week's show learn how to effectively grow your email list quickly and why building a solid email list is important and is more critical now than ever.
Listen or watch the entire show here: https://alisaconner.com/141
Register for my upcoming free training Creating An Irresistible Lead Magnet That Works Here: https://alisaconner.com/leads
Recently the opening words from Adam Mosseri's (the Head of Instagram) recent TED talk were:
"Power is shifting. History has taught us that technology will take power from the establishment and give it to individuals."
He went on to say:
"People should own their data rather than having it harvested and monetized by big tech companies."
But how does this translate to growing an email list? 
Your email list is one of the only marketing assets in your business that you control.  You get to decide when to send, and what to send and your audience becomes captive to your marketing.
When you grow your email list you hold the power, not Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or any other social media platform.  
Not to mention that recently social media accounts are being shut down for infractions some of which seem very minor, i.e. using too many emojis in a post.  Making it more critical than ever to ensure you are capturing email addresses and names of your followers. In the episode, I give you a HUGE tip to protect yourself in case you do lose access to your account on Facebook or Instagram.  Check it out here.
And then we have to consider the latest Twitter purchase including reports coming out that Elon Musk plans to charge some users.  (think content creators) for their accounts.  If Twitter implements charging for content creation then you can quickly expect Facebook, IG, LinkedIn, and other platforms to follow suit. 
It's important to remember that these companies are not in business to promote your business, they are in business to make money.
Somewhere along the way people have forgotten this.
 
All of these reasons are why growing your email list will become the differentiator between those who succeed and those who do not. I want you to succeed which is why this episode dives into how to think about growing your email list throughout your entire marketing strategy.
Is growing your email list EVEN more important than your website?
The answer is yes.  Here's why:
You can’t control how often people visit your website, nor can you control how many pages they click on.  You are playing the odds that they will keep coming back and ultimately buy from you.  But people are distracted, interrupted, and often never make it back to your website.
Meaning their ability to focus on your website, offer and services is in a state of constant interruption. 
Yes by all means you should have a website.  But the #1 goal of your website should be to move your visitors to your email list.
When you create a planned email marketing strategy, you hold the power to show up to your audience when you have new information to share, have a new product to announce, or are announcing your current promotion. Best of all, it empowers you with the ability to remind them they forgot to push “check out” on their cart when they are pulled in a different direction. This leads to you converting them into a customer.  Cha-ching.
 
Different Ways to Increase Your Email List
Tip #1:
In order to add contacts to your email marketing campaign and grow your email list,  you MUST  have a magnetizing lead magnet.  Something
that is so tempting that your ideal audience just can’t say “no”. If people are saying no, then your lead magnet isn't enticing enough.  If they
aren't sharing it with others, then you probably have some work to do. 
 
When you create something so good that people can’t wait to get it in their hot little hands, then and only then will they become a subscriber to
your email list.
 
Better yet, they will tell their friends, who tell their friends, and so on.
 
If you're like many 2nd Act Entrepreneurs, you probably struggle with creating your lead magnet. Or you created a  lead magnet that just isn’t working or you may not know if it's working.
 
If this is you, I’d like to invite you to  join me for my upcoming training - “Create An Irresistible Lead Magnet That Works” where you will learn:
How to choose a topic for your lead magnet that excites your audience and gets them to opt-in
How to pick the best lead magnet to grow your email list
Where to promote your lead magnet so more people see it
Which software to use to automate your lead generation funnel
What to measure and how to tweak your lead magnet to get even bigger results
 
Register now at https://alisaconner.com/leads
 
Tip #2 -  Use social media to add subscribers to your email list.  We started this conversation with the negative aspects of social media. But used effectively social media is a GREAT place to grow your audience and advertise your lead magnet.  But, it is in your best interest to move your social media following off of social as quickly as possible by adding them to your email list.
Use your favorite platform to shout it to the world the goodness you created, but then gather your flock and their email addresses so that they are on your list.
Tip #3 - Always go into any promotion or advertising opportunity with a plan.  As a coach, you likely are speaking on stages, podcasts, or other promotional platforms.  Before you even get into the room have a plan for how you will move that audience to the next step. 
The same goes for promoting your book. 
Most marketing fails because there isn’t a strategy to move people to the next step.  The most effective and logical next step for someone getting to know you and your business is joining your email list.  The best way to do that is to create a kick-ass lead magnet that people can’t say no to.  That brings us back to Tip #1 - you're getting the idea.
Here is a recap of this week's takeaways:
1. Always be growing your email list.
2. Move your followers from social media to your email list as quickly as possible
3. Create an irresistible lead magnet they can’t say no to
    🔥🔥 Register for the Create An Irresistible Lead Magnet That Works training at https://alisaconner.com/leads 🔥🔥
4. Use social media to add subscribers to your email list.
5. Always have a plan.
What's the first tip you're going to implement this week.  No action = no results.  Share your action plan in the comments.
Until next week,
Be well!~Alisa

Generating Leads With Your Online Sales Funnel

I recently posted on LinkedIn asking for your biggest challenges when it comes to creating an online sales funnel.  You asked and in this week's episode of the 2nd Act Entrepreneur Show, I answer your questions and concerns.
Before diving into the questions, if you're struggling with connecting the dots of all your marketing tactics and goals, grab my free 5-Step Marketing Strategy Guide to map out an easy-to-follow plan.  This guide will help you clarify your marketing message, align your marketing activities with your goals and metrics and most importantly track sales to ensure your efforts are actually converting into cash.  Grab your copy here. 
If you're ready, let's dive into the questions:
#1 - Should you use a different sales funnel or approach to reach different audiences?
In this week's episode, I refer to our good old friend ice cream to answer this question.
Tune in to the show to discover that analogy.
The short answer is yes.  In order to avoid audience confusion, a separate funnel should be set up for each lead magnet, audience, problem, and solution in your business.
But as a busy business owner, if you want to keep it simple - stick to one sales funnel, test it, and then when it is reaping results and you know it can stand on its own you can create another sales funnel option to bring new people into the fold.
Discover more about creating for a specific audience, as well as standing out in the crowd during this week's show.
#2 - How should you nurture your list?
During the live broadcast, I give a few specific examples of nurturing your list.  Tune in to the show to listen for all the details.
List nurturing mistakes usually fall into two categories:
1. Someone signs up for your lead magnet and they get one email with the freebie and then nothing else until you are ready to sell them on your next product launch or offer.
2. An initial email is sent and then the subsequent emails are pushing a sale that your new subscriber isn't ready for.
Neither of these scenarios is ideal.  A nurture sequence is meant to do just that, nurture the relationship so that your lead is enticed to learn more, trusts you, and ultimately buy from you.
In most cases, if the relationship building is rushed, the sale is jeopardized.
Just as if a prospect is ignored until the next product launch, the likelihood of converting them into a client is slim to none.
Each sales funnel needs a separate email sequence.  As does each marketing goal.
When a one-size-fits-all marketing approach is adopted, the results won't' be there.
For example, you wouldn't send someone a bunch of emails promoting Mother's Day in October.  The same is true for marketing your products and services.
Your marketing must be adapted to your audience, their specific problem, and the solution that solves that problem in order to be successful.
#3 - How do you move someone from social media to your email list?
This is definitely a question that comes up a lot in marketing conversations and is addressed at length in this week's show.
The biggest mistakes I see around the move from social to your email list are these:
The lead magnet isn't solving a problem or helping people get some sort of result.
The lead magnet created is too general and tries to help everyone but ends up helping no one.
No promotion is being done around the lead magnet, so no one is signing up, hence not joining your list.
A lead magnet and funnel haven't been created.
You're giving away all your content for free to compete.
For more details on each of these problems and how to circumvent them tune into this week's show.
 #4 -  Is your website or your email list a more important asset to your business?
Yes, your website is an important asset to your business.  But, it is far more important to grow your email list for one simple reason.  You can't control when or if someone shows up on your website.
You can control when and how often you show up in someone's inbox.
The most important thing you can have on your website is a way to capture leads.  This gives you back the power of your marketing.
It empowers you to keep your audience captive on your terms and your timeframe.
No other marketing tactic will give you this power.  On every other platform, you are at the mercy of someone else, including your possible lead.
At the end of the episode, I dive into the #1 reason you should be building your email list now even if you haven't before.  Be sure to tune into the entire show to catch this important information.
If you need help establishing a strategy for your marketing, be sure to grab my free 5-step Marketing Strategy Guide here.
Until next week, be well, stay safe and take care!
~Alisa

5 Tips To Know Before You Create A Sales Funnel To Supercharge Your Marketing

Does the term "sales funnel" give you the heebie-jeebies or make you cringe?
If so, then today's show was created for you.  
During this week's show find out what a sales funnel is the three must-have components of any sales funnel, and the marketing strategy that will help you increase sales and get the most out of your marketing time and budget. 
#1 - Introduction: What is a Sales Funnel?
A sales funnel is simply put the journey your customer takes to find you, get to know you and ultimately decide if they will purchase from you.
#2. -How to Create A Marketing Strategy for Your Business
I recently did an entire episode on the ABC’s of setting up your marketing strategy.  You can find that here.
Here is a quick recap of that episode. 
The first step in your marketing funnel is:
 1. A for attract a specific audience with your messaging and create a lead magnet they want to download.
If you’re struggling with this I have a training coming up in June to help you create a Magnetic Lead Magnetic.  You can get on the waitlist here to get notified of the training details closer to the date of the training
When someone signs up for your lead magnet this is called a conversion.  This leads to the next step of the sales funnel process:
 2. B - Building a relationship with your new lead.
This is where many people go wrong.  They go from “hi here’s your freebie now buy my stuff”
95% of purchases are made at an emotional level.  How does it feel when someone does this to you?  To make things even more complicated, those purchasing decisions are happening at a subconscious level.
So the saying KLT is based on statistics not just hearsay.  The “B” portion of your sales funnel is critical to getting people to say yes to purchasing from you
 3. The last step of the ABC sales funnel methodology is to Convert A Customer
Everyone thinks the funnel ends here, they’ve bought - celebrate good times, but in reality, this is your opportunity to put in the effort to create lifetime customers.
This is a very basic guideline for planning your marketing.  Everyone’s business is different and diving into specific tactics would depend entirely on your offerings.
#3 - What Makes a Successful Sales Funnel?
A simple sales funnel includes these 3 specific things:
First, you have to have a lead magnet. Maybe you have one, but if people aren’t opting in then your lead magnet probably isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. (if you're struggling with this, run, don't walk, to sign up for my upcoming create a magnetic lead magnet training here.)
A landing page where people can give you their information and get your lead magnet. There will be an opt-in form on this page that will collect a name and email address and will then fingers crossed kick off your automated email sequence.
You guessed it you need an email sequence. This is 5-7 emails that build the relationship so that people can begin to know like and trust you (see where we are going here).  A tool like Convertkit, Drip, or Activecampaign helps you create not only this sequence but the form from Step #2 and integrates all of the pieces of your sales funnel together for you.
#4 - The Goal of a Sale Funnel & How it Relates to Marketing Strategy
The goal of your sales funnel is to bring attention to your brand, gather information from your potential customers, and build a relationship with them so that they will ultimately purchase your product or service.
It is the step-by-step journey that your customer takes in doing business with you.  This is why it is so important to know who your customers are. Otherwise, you are shooting arrows in the dark.
# 5 -How to optimize your sales funnel?
Gather intel
Test and Evaluate
Segment and Target
Provide Value and Exceptional Customer Service
Conclusion and Takeaways
Creating a sales funnel doesn’t have to be complicated.  But, it does have to be strategic.  Otherwise, you will find yourself wasting time, feeling frustrated, and not getting results.
Every step of your funnel must lead to another step otherwise there is a breakdown and your customer will get lost in the shuffle and you won’t get the sale.
Remember the ABC system from above and you won’t go wrong.
If you need help with your lead magnet, save your spot for the upcoming Create A Magnetic Lead Magnet That Works coming up soon here. 
Until next week, be well, stay safe and take care!
~Alisa

Staying Top Of Mind To Increase Small Business Sales

This morning I headed to the ATM to deposit some money after taking my middle twin to an orthodontist appointment.  I pulled up and wouldn't you know it, I could not for the life of me remember my pin number.
I've used that number a zillion times, yet there was a giant blank space in my head for what the number should be.
Does this happen to you too? (please say yes, I don't want the only one who has a garbage disposal in my mind just munching away on pertinent information.)
The whole experience gave me empathy toward my clients.  Almost everyone is UBER distracted right now.
Between the news, social media, phone distractions, and even email - everyone is struggling for focus and especially downtime.
This includes your audience.
Add to that distraction, a group of potential customers who may not even be ready to solve their problem aka buy from you - it's no wonder your marketing is causing you headaches.
This week's episode shares three proven ways for you to stay top of mind with your potential customers so that when they are ready to buy - they think of you and already trust you.  Making the sales process seamless and easy.  Dive into this week's jam-packed episode here.
The most important part of getting traction from your marketing is having a marketing strategy.  This is the exact reason I created the 5-Step Marketing Strategy Guide.  Download your copy here to set up a plan for your marketing instead of wondering if something will work.
If you've been tuning into the 2nd Act Entrepreneur Show for a bit, you know I'm slightly obsessed with a recent sales study I came across which revealed that only 3 percent of people are actually ready to buy when they come across a brand (like yours). 
Meaning 97% of people need more interaction and knowledge before making a purchasing decision.
But most entrepreneurs give up after only 1-2 contact points (including emails). 
That means 97% of possible sales are being left on the table before they ever have the chance to get off the ground.
Let's stop that stat - well stat!
Let's dive into three proven ways to stay top of mind even in today's busy world:
#1 - My personal favorite is email marketing.
But even with a powerful tool like email marketing, oftentimes things go askew.  Here are some things to avoid like the plague.
Avoid only emailing your list when you have something to sell
Remember to pitch your offer.  Sometimes people get so caught up in relationship building they never give someone a way to buy or work with them.
Show up consistently so that people remember who you are and how you can help them.
Avoid writing boring templated emails or plagiarizing someone else's writing.  They aren't engaging, won't get read and it's just bad juju.  For more details tune in to this week's show.
#2 -  Effectively use social media.
First, and foremost - show up consistently on the right social platform.  Lack of consistency will kill your vibe
Figure out where your audience is hanging out.  More details on this in the episode.
Yes, you will have to do the work. You will have to create engaging content and no there is no magic marketing pill that will build your audience for you.
Be sure that you are connecting the dots to move people off social media sooner than later because it's critical to move people to purchase
#3 - Get in front of your people using the media
Figure out where your people go find information on solving their problem and show up there. Examples given in the episode include:
Television Interviews
Publication Articles
Podcasts
Video Shows
Speaking at events
That's a wrap for this week.  Don't forget to grab the 5-Step Marketing Strategy Guide.  This guide is your ally in easily creating a plan for your marketing.  Helping you avoid frustration, manic posting on social and ultimately saves you time and money on marketing that doesn't work.
Download your copy here and I just bet you will get your marketing plan set up this afternoon.
Until next week, be well, stay safe and take care!
~Alisa

Creating A Simple Marketing Strategy Using The ABC Method

Marketing strategy doesn't need to be complicated.  But it is the one critical component to turning your new leads into customers (and repeat customers).
 
***GRAB THE ACCOMPANYING GUIDE***
 
To help you take action on today’s episode, download the Marketing Strategy Guide here: https://alisaconner.com/strategy-guide
 
This week’s 2nd Act Entrepreneurs show teaches you a simple method to create a marketing plan that works to attract new eyeballs to your business,  build trust, and ultimately turn those people into customers.
 
Learn:
The best ways to attract your audience
The number of times potential customers need to see your brand before they notice you
How to save time when creating marketing content
The #1 way to stay top of mind so that you are remembered when people are ready to purchase
The best way to build trust and relationships with your audience
The key ingredient that many entrepreneurs forget when they are marketing their business
The #1 thing most entrepreneurs and small business owners forget to add to their marketing plan
***DON’T FORGET TO GRAB THE ACCOMPANYING GUIDE***
 
To help you take action on today’s episode, download the free Strategy Guide here: https://alisaconner.com/strategy-guide.  It will help you create your plan, write it down and empower you by taking action.  And, the best part is, you can use it again and again as you launch new products, services, and promotions.
 
Links mentioned in this episode:
Sales Strategy Guide
Top Branding Statistics
IRC Sales Solutions Sales Survey

Is Your Comfort Zone Killing Your Entrepreneurial Dreams?

A 2nd Act Entrepreneur is someone who is taking a gamble on themselves.  By taking their experience and expertise and turning it into a new venture.  That could be a coaching or consulting business, or an online program. 
But, as entrepreneurs, it can be SO easy to talk ourselves out of taking risks.
As we get older we can become complacent. There is more at stake than when we were adolescents or teens.
We have mortgages and 401Ks and college tuition to pay for.
Our parents are aging and there are emotional and time commitments required that most times we haven’t planned for.
But, entrepreneurship is anything but complacent.  In fact, it is one of the biggest risks you will ever take in your life. So if you have thrown your hat into the ring, bravo - you have already broken the first barrier of complacency.
This week on the 2nd Act Entrepreneur Show learn how to kick your complacency to the curb by activating part of your anatomy. 
Yep, we are going to take a slight dive into the science behind taking risks and sticking with the norm.  Listen or watch the entire episode here.
Even after you take that initial step of becoming an entrepreneur, your comfort zone can put up a giant stop sign that keeps you from chasing your dream and fulfilling your purpose.
Recently there has been a reoccurring niggle in my life around people taking ice-cold showers, diving into cold dunk tanks, and people diving into ice-cold frigid waters. I kept seeing it in the newsfeed, in articles I would stumble across, and even in a video ad.
Usually, when something comes across my line of vision more than once, I perk up and pay attention because more often than not the universe is trying to talk to get my attention.
But first, a quick anatomy lesson on the vagus nerves in case you aren’t familiar with what it is or what it does (I 100% wasn’t).
Your vagus nerves run from your brain to your large intestine and control the parasympathetic nervous system which controls your “rest and digest” functions. 
When this is out of balance we feel stressed out (hello 2020), have raised blood pressure, are in a bad mood, and may have digestion problems.  
You get the idea.
Curiosity getting the better of me, I wondered how does one shock the vagus nerve and resets the parasympathetic nervous system?
You guessed it, cold showers.  And other things like deep breathing, yoga, tuning forks (another favorite of mine) massage, gargling, singing, and a whole list of other things that you can find here.
But the one thing that rang true with most of the vagus nerve stimulation options is that they all require you to get out of your comfort zone.  
As we age, we get comfortable.  In our own skin, in our homes (the world becomes too peoply) with our routines.  But, entrepreneurship REQUIRES us to regularly leap out of our comfort zone.
Because I almost never take anything at face value, I decided to do an experiment. 
The first thing to know is I LOVE hot showers.  The hotter the better.  
To venture outside of my comfort zone I decided to take my regular balmy shower and then turn the water to ice-cold for one minute. 
You can bet that I counted down every second.
The first few times it was torturous, I’m not going to lie.
But then I got out of my head and realized, the fear wasn’t around the sensation, it was around not being comfortable.  
The prefrontal cortex of our brain wants to keep us safe. It runs the fight or flight response. 
Staying comfortable keeps that part of our brain happy and it will do ANYTHING to ensure our safety.  
Even if it’s not in our best interest.
So when I flipped that water to ice cold my brain started to freak the “F” out.  Yep, any excuse to shut off the water and get back to normal popped up.  Some of the thoughts in my head bordered on ridiculous.
But I was having none of it.
After a few weeks, what were the results of this cold shower experiment?  
They were nothing short of remarkable considering all I did was turn the water to ice cold.
I have had more energy, more ideas, and have spent less time being stuck in my own dang head.
I’ve meditated more and done more yoga.
I’ve finally felt aligned again and am ready to move forward. 
All of that from some cold water?  Yes and no.
The water was the first step. 
But challenging the status quo and our own inner dialogue, that’s where the real magic starts to happen.
Where have you been complacent or sticking to what’s comfortable?
What do you need to do instead to reach outside of your comfort zone so that you can reach your goals? 
Tell me in the comments below.
Until next week, 
Be well and take care.
~ Alisa