The Business Stylist® Podcast

The Business Stylist® Podcast Episode 149. A lot of success gurus advocate setting Goals and Objectives. I disagree. In fact, I followed the practice of setting specific goals and objectives for many years, and all it ever led to was disappointment. Because setting a specific measurable goal or objective means one of two things: you're either going to achieve it, or not. That means your business, and the way you measure it, becomes very black and white. Business is anything but black and white. I don't think the only way to motivate yourself to move forward in your business is to set, pass-or-fail, goals or objectives. I prefer to set intentions. There is no failure with intentions. It also leaves the possibility open that you'll achieve something even greater. In this podcast and video I share the difference between Intentions and Goals & Objectives, and why I no longer set goals and objectives. Setting intentions is an integral part of creating a simple strategic plan for your business. And for achieving the life and business you really want. Learn how to create a simple strategic plan in an afternoon, here. Subscribe to The Business Stylist® Podcast: The Business Stylist® Podcast is brought to you by Debbie LaChusa, aka The Business Stylist®. In each episode, Debbie shares bite-sized marketing tips and advice to help independent coaches, consultants, and other service professionals Package, Brand, Market, and Sell their services more effectively.

The Business Stylist® Podcast Episode 148. Creating a Strategic Plan is Just Like Planning a... Creating a strategic plan is just like doing something we've all done, probably multiple times. What is that? Listen to the podcast or watch the video below to find out! Subscribe to The Business Stylist® Podcast: The Business Stylist® Podcast is brought to you by Debbie LaChusa, aka The Business Stylist®. In each episode, Debbie shares bite-sized marketing tips and advice to help independent coaches, consultants, and other service professionals Package, Brand, Market, and Sell their services more effectively.

While they do have one thing in common, these two plans are definitely NOT the same thing. Both are important for independent coaches and consultants. In fact, your marketing plan really is dependent on your strategic plan. So, if you don't have a strategic plan in place, you may end up wasting a lot of time and energy marketing your business. And, more importantly, you may not get where you're trying to go. In this podcast and short 2 minute video, I discuss the difference between a strategic plan and a marketing plan.  Learn how to create your own simple strategic plan here. Debbie LaChusa, The Business Stylist® created The Business Stylist® Blog to share real-world marketing tips and advice to help coaches and consultants design a business, brand, and marketing that fit them, and their ideal clients to a "T". Debbie has 30 years of marketing experience and has run her own business since 1998. She's the founder of The Business Stylist® Marketing Academy, where she teaches online courses to help coaches, consultants, and other experts learn how to market themselves more effectively and build more enjoyable, successful, and profitable businesses.

The Business Stylist® Podcast Episode 147 Should consultants be paid based on the results they generate for their clients? For example, as a percentage of sales? A brand new consultant recently confided in me he was having trouble setting his prices because he felt as a start-up it was difficult to establish the value of the outcome he was delivering to his clients. And, for the client to see the value before it was delivered. He asked what I thought about charging his clients a percentage based on results... basically having his clients pay him a percentage of the sales increase he was able to generate for them. Here is the answer I gave him, and it's how I feel in general about consultants being paid based on the results they generate for their clients. If you want to learn the best way to package, brand, market, and sell your services, check out my online course: How to Market Yourself as a Coach or Consultant    Subscribe to The Business Stylist® Podcast: The The Business Stylist® Podcast is brought to you by Debbie LaChusa, aka The Business Stylist®. In each episode, Debbie shares bite-sized marketing tips and advice to help independent coaches, consultants, and other service professionals Package, Brand, Market, and Sell their services more effectively.

The Business Stylist® Podcast Episode 146 Can I market to more than one ideal client? It's not uncommon for a client to tell me they want to work with more than one type of client. Whether they want to work with both corporations and individuals, or two distinct populations, they want to know if it's OK to have more than one ideal client. And more importantly, can they set up their business and marketing to effectively serve more than one type of client. After being in business for 17 years, having first hand experience trying to target and market to two distinct audiences at the same time, and even running 5 different businesses concurrently, I have a very clear answer to this question. I share that answer in this video and podcast. If you need help identifying your ideal client and figuring out the best way to market to them, I encourage you to check out my online course, How to Market Yourself as a Coach or Consultant   Subscribe to The Business Stylist® Podcast: The The Business Stylist® Podcast is brought to you by Debbie LaChusa, aka The Business Stylist®. In each episode, Debbie shares bite-sized marketing tips and advice to help independent coaches, consultants, and other service professionals Package, Brand, Market, and Sell their services more effectively.

The Business Stylist® Podcast Episode 145 How can you stop charging for your time, and instead charge for the value you deliver to your clients, if you're an independent consultant? In my experience most independent coaches and consultants charge their clients by the hour or some other term. In essence they are charging for their time. However, that is not the best way to get paid and it's a lot harder to sell your services that way. Clients don't really want to pay you for your time. They want to pay you to help them get something they want, that they can't get on their own. Charging for your time also enables clients to compare you to other coaches or consultants based on an hourly rate. And that's not how you want to be compared! You want clients to hire you for the difference you're going to make in their life or their business. You want them to pay you to solve a problem. It's easier to sell clients a solution than your time, and they generally will pay you more as well. If you're still charging by the hour, month, or some other term, and you're not sure how to start charging for the value you deliver, in this video I share some tips to help you make that transition. I've been in business for 17 years and I've charged for the outcome I deliver when working with corporations, non-profit organizations, and solo-professionals. So whenever an independent coach or consultant tells me they can't set up their business that way, I know that's not true. Watch the video or listen to the podcast for my full response to this question. If you want to learn how to package your services into and outcome-based program you can sell, I encourage you to check out my course, How to Design a Signature Coaching or Consulting Program. Subscribe to The Business Stylist® Podcast: The The Business Stylist® Podcast is brought to you by Debbie LaChusa, aka The Business Stylist®. In each episode, Debbie shares bite-sized marketing tips and advice to help independent coaches, consultants, and other service professionals Package, Brand, Market, and Sell their services more effectively.

The Business Stylist® Podcast Episode 144 What if you’re a business or marketing coach or consultant and “make more money” is the only benefit you can come up with for your services?  Is that the only thing you should talk about in your marketing? A coach actually asked me this question. She told me every benefit she came up with…

The Business Stylist® Podcast Episode 143 Should Coaches & Consultants Offer A Money Back Guarantee? If people are buying your coaching or consulting services online, should you offer a money back guarantee to help them feel more comfortable buying? There are actually two answers to this question, and it depends a bit on what you’re…

The Business Stylist® Podcast Episode 142 As a coach or consultant, what if you have a program that helps kids or teens. How do you market and sell to children or teenagers? We’ve all seen tons of advertising that’s targeted at children. And if you’re a parent you’ve probably had your child ask you to…

The Business Stylist® Podcast Episode 141 How do I find the one thing that I and my business stand for, so I can create my brand? When I help my clients brand themselves I ask them to look at who they are and what they do for their clients. I ask them to think about…

The Business Stylist® Podcast Episode 140 What if I don’t have a process I can use to create my signature coaching or consulting program? Coaches and consultants should not be selling their time, yet far too many are. Instead of selling your time by the hour, month, or any other term, you should develop a…

The Business Stylist® Podcast Episode 139 Do I have to focus on client pains in my marketing? It seems so negative. I hear this question a lot. However, far too often I find that independent coaches and consultants are talking about the wrong things in their marketing. They’re too busy talking about what they do.…

The Business Stylist® Podcast Episode 138 Can I try to trademark a name someone else is using but hasn’t yet trademarked? What do you do if you’ve come up with a great brand name, and you discover others are using it, BUT no one has trademarked it? Should you still use it? Will you be…

The Business Stylist® Podcast Episode 137 This podcast and video are part of my ongoing Question and Answer series where I’m answering questions I receive from independent coaches and consultants. Offering a free assessment can be a great way to build your email list and generate new clients. But what if you have no idea…

The Business Stylist® Podcast Episode 136 This podcast and video are part of my ongoing Question and Answer series where I’m answering common questions I receive from independent coaches and consultants. What do you do if you have an existing business but you want to switch to a new market segment? Maybe you’re currently a…

The Business Stylist® Podcast Episode 135 This podcast and video are part of my ongoing Question and Answer series where I’m answering common questions I receive from independent coaches and consultants. It’s not uncommon for new coaches and consultants to get nervous when it’s time to sell their services. They’re not comfortable talking money and…

The Business Stylist® Podcast Episode 134 This podcast and video are part of my ongoing Question and Answer series where I’m answering  questions I receive from independent coaches and consultants. Independent coaches and consultants should always do a financial viability test when setting up their business. That way they know they can be profitable with…

The Business Stylist® Podcast Episode 133 This podcast and video are part of my ongoing Question and Answer series where I’m answering common questions I receive from independent coaches and consultants. One of the most common questions I get is about picking a niche. Independent coaches and consultants often worry about picking too narrow of…

The Business Stylist® Podcast Episode 132 This podcast and video are part of my ongoing Question and Answer series where I’m answering common questions I receive from independent coaches and consultants. Would you like to add an additional income stream to your coaching or consulting business? Are you looking to make money online, and ideally…

The Business Stylist® Podcast Episode 131 If you’re an independent coach or consultant you may wonder what the most effective online marketing or advertising strategy is for getting new clients and making sales. It’s a question I hear often: What’s the best way to advertise my services? My answer may surprise you. In fact, I…