2023 has been a year of ups and downs and for a lot of business owners, sales have been hard.
When that happens we need to dive in and see how we can communicate what we offer, the value we bring, and how we work with our clients in a better way.
Today I'm sharing 8 questions that you can ask yourself to see if you can start to get those sales flowing to you again.
Be sure to check out the show notes and grab the free workbook that goes with this episode.
In this episode, we cover the following 8 questions:
CLICK HERE TO GRAB YOUR FREE WORKBOOK – Work through each question and see where you can start making shifts to attract more sales..
Come and join me live this October (2023) for the SELL WITH CONFIDENCE BOOTCAMP.
Check out all the details HERE.
Suz Chadwick [00:00:00]:
Welcome to the Brand Builders Lab Podcast. I'm your host, Sue Chadwick, certified business and mindset coach, author, and speaker. Each week, we'll be talking about simple but powerful business and mindset strategies that will help you build a lean, clean, and profitable business so You can learn to get out of your own way and pay yourself more. Forget average. It's time to level up. Hey. Hey, Lovely. Welcome back to the podcast.
Suz Chadwick [00:00:28]:
Always amazing to have you here. Can't believe we did the 300th So last week, I'm feeling pretty chuffed, but also I'm like, and next. Let's go. We still got more to do. And I am I'm flying solo for the next couple of weeks. My VA is swanning in New York. If you're listening, Jenna, have an amazing time. But this is one of the reasons why it's important for you to know how to do things in your because I didn't batch before she went.
Suz Chadwick [00:00:51]:
So I'm gonna be doing all of the back end of the podcast for the next couple of weeks, but that's okay. I know how to do it. Done it before. Can do it Again oh, so this week, we are gonna be talking all about if you're not making the sales, you want 8 questions to ask yourself. So I did carousel on Instagram. I'll link it in the show notes. But I wanted to come on the podcast, and I wanted to dive deeper into it. Also, hashtag repurposing.
Suz Chadwick [00:01:20]:
Yeah? So when you've got an idea, when you've created something, then it's always great to have it in different forms. So I've got the carousel. I'm gonna do the podcast. You know, maybe take each one at different times and go deeper into them. I could Share it on LinkedIn. I could do Reels on each one of these. So I just wanna say because I get people that say, I just don't know what to talk about. And I'm like, You have already created amazing content, so make sure you go back and you reuse it.
Suz Chadwick [00:01:49]:
So that's what we're doing today. I'm gonna be diving into these Eight questions because I know that business has been tough this year. It has been tough out there. I totally get it. And so we need to be able to communicate our value a whole lot more. We need to be clearer in, like, the benefits that our clients get when they work with us. And this is something that I'm always working on as well. So I've just, like, rewritten the Amplify Mastermind page.
Suz Chadwick [00:02:15]:
We're mixing it up with some of our products. We're building out a shop, all the rest of it. So I am writing a lot of copy right now. And One of the things my coach always says to me is just go a couple of clicks more, which means when I Say why you know, something that you're gonna get when we work together. She's like, so that what? So that what? And you know something I teach my clients is, but sometimes I need somebody to be like, Suz, you've gotta kind of give a bit more here. So we're gonna be talking about that as well. So today is an episode that's gonna be super practical for you. The second thing I wanna let you know is that we are going into a new live round of BBA, which is coming up in October starting on 16th.
Suz Chadwick [00:03:01]:
But before that, I'll give you all the links very, very soon. I'm gonna be running a Simple Sales, Sell More boot camp. And that's gonna be happening the week of 2nd October. So from the 2nd to the October, we're gonna have the sell more boot camp, and then I'm gonna be running a couple just 2 webinars the week of 9th, so on 9th and 12th October. So look out for those. I will share the links with you. If you've been wanting to come into BBA to Get the system strategies and structures in place, get the foundations of your business in place so that you can build a profitable business, manage your money, manage your mind, Then this is for you, and we're gonna kick off for 8 weeks on the 16th October. So I cannot wait to share that with you.
Suz Chadwick [00:03:46]:
I also have a whole lot of other ideas. So Not to overwhelm you, but I'm also excited. The mini retreat went so well. So I am thinking that I will do another retreat at the beginning of next year as well all around thought leadership, messaging, marketing, because I know that those are 3 things that a lot of my clients wanna dive more into, they struggle with, and I love talking about it. Can talk about it till the cows come home. So Well, that's that's lots of stuff that's coming up for you. So make sure if you haven't subscribed to my email list to be notified about all of the things, Then make sure you go to sueschadwick.comforward/subscribe so that you can get it into your inbox, yeah, when new episodes drop, When there's events, when there's new training coming out if you haven't subscribed, what even are you doing? I mean, really? Yeah? Okay. Well, listen.
Suz Chadwick [00:04:43]:
That was a lot, so let's dive into this week's episode. Okay. So So let's dive into today's episode, which is all about if you're not making the sales that you want right now, then these are some questions to ask yourself. I just think that whenever we're in a place where things aren't working, instead of just splashing in the puddle and thinking, oh, it's not working. Nothing works. Nobody wants what I have. And going into that whole drama spiral, I think it's just important for us to take a step back and look at things and ask ourselves some really great questions so that we can fix what's not working and maybe see gaps that we missed in the past. So I wanna give you 8 questions, and I wanna walk you through them and talk a little bit more about them.
Suz Chadwick [00:05:34]:
So the first thing is, am I clear on what I'm selling, and is it clear for my audience what they can buy from me? Now you might kind of be like, Suze, that feels really obvious, but I actually think that when I've been to people's websites, I'm sort of like, okay. So what exactly is on offer? How would I work with them? I feel like I literally did this the other day when I was, on somebody's website, and It wasn't a 100% clear. I had to go to different places on their website, So even the menu wasn't particularly clear on that these were their services. And then when I got to the services, It didn't really tell me about what I was supposed to do next as well. So the first thing is just going back to wherever it is that you're selling, wherever you're talking about what you have, and just being really clear. Like, these are maybe your top Three services, your top 1 or 2 services. You might have other things that are on offer, but what are the main things that you really want people to know about, And what are the main things that you wanna be selling, and then are you making it really easy and clear for them Once they've found you to then go to that. So if you know that you get a lot of people that find you on Instagram or LinkedIn or wherever it is.
Suz Chadwick [00:06:58]:
Then is it clear the minute that they land what you do and how you help? Yeah. So for me, when I look at my Instagram, it's helping you build a profitable business and a powerful personal brand, 1 on 1 biz and mindset coaching. So that's, like, the first thing that I wanna tell them about, and then group coaching is the next thing. So, obviously, I've got Amplify and BBA. So the other thing I've got is that in my pinned post on Instagram, because I get a lot of clients through Instagram, I've got a let's work together carousel, and it's got all of my services there. And it tells you what the service is, who it's for, how it works, and where they can find it. So I just want you to kinda go back to the basics and be like, do I need to clean this up? What is the number one thing that I want to sell? And just be really clear on what you're selling and naming the products and services and then also talking about the problem. So for example, as I said in the intro, BBA helps you get the foundations in place, the systems, strategies, and structures to be able to grow a business, get profitable, manage your mind, and your money.
Suz Chadwick [00:08:09]:
And so I know that when I have Spoken to my clients who are at that stage of business. It could be at the beginning stage, or as I say, they've been successful despite themselves, but they really wanna get their business in order. Spring clean it, get it sorted so that they can grow. Those are the words of my clients. Those are the things that they say. I don't know how to get organized. I don't know how to systemize or automate things in my business. I get really Stuck on what to say and how to say it.
Suz Chadwick [00:08:43]:
And so when you are selling a particular product, I really want you to think about, Am I using the words of my customers and the problems that they are telling me that they are having? Because if you're not doing that, then you're really missing an opportunity to captivate them right at the very start. But let's make sure that we're cleaning things up, Getting rid of anything that is not primary focus for you to sell. Because I also think, you know, we're building out our shop right now, and they'll have some sort of lower price mid tier products, but they would be more of a down sell, or they would be things that People who have already worked with me in my bigger programs or coaching might want to go and purchase separately. They're not gonna be the thing that I'm talking about all the time. So really prioritize and rank your products and services, and make sure that the ones that you want people to buy are the things that you're focusing on the most. The second question to ask yourself is, is my message speaking directly to their needs right now? Am I using their words, and am I communicating hating the value. So one of the things that we talked about at the RISE mini retreat was how you communicate your value. And so one of my clients, We were talking about Facebook ads, and she's like, I don't wanna talk about Facebook ads.
Suz Chadwick [00:10:03]:
So I just said to her, you need to chunk up. Like, why would somebody want Facebook ads? So they want More leads. They want more sales. They want more eyeballs on what it is they have. They're looking to, like, build their brand in the market. So those are all of the things that people actually want, and ads are really just the avenue or the vehicle for them to achieve that bigger goal. So when you understand the problem that your client has, I want you to think about what's the first thought. Like, what is The high level thing, the thing that they wanna achieve that your product or service helps them to actually do.
Suz Chadwick [00:10:39]:
So for my clients, my clients want to earn more money. They wanna price well. They wanna get out of their own way. You know, they wanna build profitable business, and so they wanna have those foundations in place to be able to do that. And so really speaking to the overarching goal or the overarching thing that they wanna achieve is where you kind of gotta start from. So using their words and communicating your value to them. So why would they come to you? What is it about you that can really help them to achieve that bigger goal? And I think that this is something that a lot of women in business struggle with. Actually sitting down and saying, I like, the thing that I hear is I don't know know why somebody would come to me.
Suz Chadwick [00:11:22]:
I don't know why I'm different. Like, I don't know why they'd choose me over that person. And you've gotta start to work that out. And so a really great Way to do this is to actually ask your clients why they buy from you. So that's something I do. So after I go through, like, a live round of BBA, I will pick a couple of clients who have been super engaged, have, you know, done the work, all the rest of it. And I will do a 1 on 1 Interview with them, and I will find out, like, where were you before you decided to jump into BBA, and What was it specifically about BBA or working with me that made you make the decision? And so I get really specific Answers. Yeah.
Suz Chadwick [00:12:05]:
A lot of times a lot of times, I get clients that are like, I'm so sick of my own BS, sis, and I knew you'd held held me accountable. And I love that. I'm like, yeah. I'm somebody who'll hold you accountable. I'm not just gonna, like, let you go if you wanna come and work and get, You know, the accountability and have somebody who's going to hold your hand and guide you and coach you and all the rest of it. So that's Something that I talk about as well because that's what my clients have said. So when you know why your clients buy from you. And I also wanna kinda put a caveat here as well is that when you know why the clients who you love to work with.
Suz Chadwick [00:12:44]:
So you will you're like, if I could have a 100 more of those clients, then amazing. When you know why those clients Love to work with you. Then you sharing that message and being really specific about it means that More than likely, you'll attract more of those types of clients. The clients who, for me, are action takers. They're sick of their own stuff. They want the help now. They don't wanna wait. They're tired of trying to figure it out.
Suz Chadwick [00:13:12]:
Yeah. They wanna get out of their own way. So Using that and really thinking about how can I use that on a regular basis on my sales page, when I'm sharing it, You know, on socials, when I am talking about it to a client, those are the sorts of things that you really wanna highlight so that you're speaking directly to their needs and how they're feeling and what it is that they want? And I'm really gonna I'm gonna Say it several times during this episode. I'm really gonna encourage you to go back and take a look at the copy on your website. And if you're somebody who's like, I have already read it several times, and I don't know how it could be better. Then get help with it. Like, get somebody else who Might be an ideal client or somebody who you trust, who understands what it is you're trying to communicate, and get them to Ask you questions. Get them to read through it and say, what about like, I don't understand.
Suz Chadwick [00:14:08]:
Like, why is this important? Because a lot of times, we have the curse of knowledge as well where We talk about things that we assume. And can I tell you, I do this? Like, I do this as well. It's not just you. It's me too. When we assume knowledge, we assume that they understand how it works or what they're gonna get or the benefits or the value or whatever it is. So that has been a really big Focus for me recently is going back and making sure that I'm talking about things in the right way. Question number 3 is, do I have A top of funnel lead magnet or strategy that attracts new clients to me every day or week. So This is where you wanna create simple simple things in your business that help you sell.
Suz Chadwick [00:14:54]:
So top of funnel is obviously brand awareness. It's people who have just discovered you. They come across you on socials. Somebody's referred, you know, them to you, Whatever it is. But actually knowing, like, where are people finding me? How can I double down on that? How do I know how many people are coming to me? So But me, we're really looking at people that sign up for free things. So it might be, you know, webinars. It could be opt ins. It could be people that are subscribing to my list, because when they come onto the list, then we're, like, sharing other things like the podcast or offering them a masterclass, whatever else it might be.
Suz Chadwick [00:15:35]:
So that's top of funnel. It's somebody who's just getting to know you. And so Really understanding what are you doing every single week that is helping you with top of funnel. So that's my question to you. What are you doing every week that is helping you to connect with new audiences. So things like TikTok, Instagram Reels, Probably the first 2 things LinkedIn as well. 1st 2 2, 3 things that I think about. Because you can get Eyeballs from a lot of new audiences on those particular platforms.
Suz Chadwick [00:16:09]:
So for example, if you were to do a reel and not post it to your feed, It would get pushed out to people that don't know you. TikTok, obviously, a lot of people, that's huge top of funnel because you're being shown on the for you page. So just understanding how these things work means that you can target particular platforms if you're wanting to captivate new audiences. And also just having you know, because they can find you on those platforms, but then Are you actually offering something that's going to capture their email? Because at the end of the day, we just that's the main thing we wanna be doing is capturing people's emails so that we can then obviously move them through to middle of funnel and grow that relationship as well. So really think about what are you doing on a weekly basis That is helping you grow your brand, get in front of new audiences, get new eyeballs on what you do, and then capturing their attention and their information. And I feel like you could have been in business for years, and you've not nailed this. I know that there are people that have been in business for years, and they don't focus on growing their list. They don't focus on getting new eyeballs on their business, and they're wondering why they're not getting the business that they want or getting the sales that they want.
Suz Chadwick [00:17:27]:
Number 4 is, do I have a strategy and funnel that takes new followers and subscribers through a process of getting to know me, which is the middle of the funnel. So building that know, love, And trust is what I like to say. So really thinking about for us, we send at least 1 to 2 emails a week. Normally, 1 is a value value packed Email, and then the other one is also value packed because it's the podcast, because then we've got that consistency. We're Sharing things that we know are gonna really help our audience that are relevant to them, that's then also keeping you front of mind. So I know you know, we've done kind of the work around when somebody joins the email list, the time it takes for them to buy, which on average, I think we worked out is around 6 to 9 months. Some people are longer. Some people are shorter.
Suz Chadwick [00:18:16]:
You've got your tortoises and your hares as far as people that take a long time to buy or people that take a shorter time to buy. And so really thinking about how are you staying front of mind and building that Relationship on a consistent basis for your audience is really important because you don't wanna either spend time or money getting leads Top of funnel only to leave them just in a bucket. Nothing's happening. You're not communicating with them. So make sure that you're really valuing every lead that's coming in, and you are making that connection with them. Don't waste it. Because if you are not regularly communicating with your audience, if you are not being front of mind, if you are not sharing value and making the offer as well, then that is gonna be another reason why you're potentially not getting the number of sales that you want. Sales just has to be, like, what you're doing on the daily or at least the weekly to keep your business moving forward.
Suz Chadwick [00:19:23]:
And I know like, I've spoken to clients where the where they've been busy, they've had a lot of clients, and then something's happened, and now they don't have, like the clients that they want. So this has gotta be something that's always happening in the background. It's not like something that you just do when things kind of are quiet. This is something that you do every single Monday or Tuesday, and you contact 5 people on LinkedIn. You, You know, go and say hello to new subscribers or, you know, new followers on Instagram. Like, you actually go and you engage, and you go and you follow-up on things. So I just think really think about whether you have a clear strategy around building that relationship. Question number 5 is, am I making the offer regularly in different ways? Through my online content, weekly emails, sales conversations.
Suz Chadwick [00:20:14]:
So bottom of funnel is basically you need to be making the offer, I'm gonna say it, at least 10 times more than what you are now. That's just how it is. You've gotta make this offer At least 10 times more. Because you've gotta remember that not everybody sees everything, so you might be making the offer 10 times, and they might see it twice. I will just never ever forget when I did my very first big conference with Lisa Messenger, and we ran Ads, we talked about it for months. We collaborated with other communities in Melbourne. Like, I just felt so exhausted talking about it. And then we had the event, and I had so many people who were like, I didn't know about it.
Suz Chadwick [00:20:54]:
And I literally thought, I just Could not have talked about this more if I tried. We paid for people to see it. We spent time in people seeing it and hearing about it. So I just want you to remember that you might feel like a broken record. You might feel like you're sharing it a lot, but I want you to know that You need to because not everybody is seeing it. And if they're not seeing it, then they don't have the opportunity to engage with what you're doing, and they don't have the opportunity to buy. So whatever you're doing, 10 exit. Yeah? And really think about what are all the different ways that I could do it.
Suz Chadwick [00:21:32]:
So I'll give you an example is that, you know, even this podcast episode, it was a carousel on Instagram. It'll be a podcast episode. It'll become a blog. I'll also put her on LinkedIn. We could take each one of these questions. We could do a series on TikTok. Like, there are lots of ways is that you can use the content that you've got and be using it for your top, middle, and bottom of funnel. But just knowing, like, how to create that strategy and sitting down and taking the time is really important to do.
Suz Chadwick [00:22:03]:
I think that's, like, one of the biggest things. People just don't take the time to work this out and then execute it really well. Yep? Question number 6 is, am I clear on what my revenue generating activities are every week that help me consistently focus on the things that work? So, obviously, that end part of the question is helping you consistently focus on the things that work. So We're looking at our analytics. We know that, you know, we get a lot of clients from the podcast. We get clients from Instagram. I get clients when I speak. So it could be speaking on other people's podcasts.
Suz Chadwick [00:22:40]:
It could be speaking at events, on stage, those sorts of things. So and obviously from some of the paid ads. We don't do huge amount of paid ads, but we do do some paid ads for lead magnets. So Just knowing, like, where people are coming from, where clients are coming from means that I can double down on that, means that I can focus more effort on that, means that I can make more offers in that place, or I could, you know, be thinking about how we can be doing more revenue generating activities. So is connecting in the DMs with new followers a revenue generating activity? Well, it's a great middle of funnel. So to me, yes, it is because I'm building the relationship, which means that it's more likely if they were thinking about working with me, that now they're like, oh my gosh. Like, Susie's you know, she's present, and she's engaged, and she's asking questions. And I never really do the hard like, I never do the hard sell, but I'm always just like, tell me more about yourself.
Suz Chadwick [00:23:41]:
Like, people are here for a reason. People come into your world for a reason. It could be that they need your help. It could be that they're interested in what you're talking about. Somebody may have referred them, whatever that might be. But I know the activity that helps me to get more clients, and so I just try and do that as much as possible. But I do set aside time every week to do that. So really think about, do you know what revenue generating activities look like? So things like marketing is obviously a revenue generating activity because you are letting people know about the products and services that you have, and you're letting them know about how they can purchase from you.
Suz Chadwick [00:24:21]:
Having conversations, going back to either referrals or leads, things like that, like, actually engaging, sharing what You have with somebody in an intentional and direct way is also revenue generating activity. So you've just gotta decide what is bringing your clients in and what is converting them, and then how do you do more of that? Question number 7 is, do I know where clients are finding me so I can double down on those channels to attract more of the clients that I really want? So I know that, I would say the majority of clients, they find me through socials, and then And they come on the podcast to kind of binge and get to know me a bit more. And so, you know, we did earlier in the year, and I just couldn't keep up with it. I wanted Try it, but it just wasn't something that I was able to do, which is double down on the number of episodes we did on the podcast. And so for a while there, we did 2 episodes a week, Which was a lot of work. But the reason that we decided to do it at the time was because we knew that a lot of were kind of converting through the podcast or coming to the podcast. And so I was like, well, if we do more episodes, it means that We can potentially give more content. We could potentially, you know, help people find us because there's more content, more SEO, etcetera, out there for people to be able to find us, all the rest of it.
Suz Chadwick [00:25:50]:
So just really being able to double down on what's working for you is Super, super important. And it means that you're not wasting time in channels that don't work, that aren't worth it. So for me, you know, we do a lot on Instagram. We don't do anything on Facebook, which is interesting because I know that reels on Facebook is supposed to be Quite powerful right now. We're doing a tiny bit on TikTok, and we're doing some on LinkedIn. But the majority is podcast and Instagram and then emails. Those are like the 3 things that we do the most. And question number 8 is, do I know why clients have bought from me so that I can highlight These things in my sales messages, the things that differentiate me.
Suz Chadwick [00:26:34]:
So I know that we mentioned this a little while ago, but I would really love you to sit down. I know this is part of the brand Strategy work that I do with a lot of my clients is understanding why people decided to go with you, why they Started to go with you over somebody else, and people feel a little bit awkward about this for some reason. But I think it's just really great to know. So I know that There are clients that buy from me because they know that I've come from the consulting and corporate world and the entrepreneurial space and sales. Like, that mix has been a deciding factor for them because they may have come from either a similar background or they're coming out of corporate into the entrepreneurial space, and they wanna work in a certain way. And because of my background, they know how I would work in quite a structured project management style of way you know, really looking at metrics and measurements and all the rest of it. So that is something I talk about a lot. It's something that I highlight on sales pages, things like that so that if that appeals to certain clients, then that might be the deciding factor as to why they work with me as opposed to somebody else.
Suz Chadwick [00:27:41]:
Yeah. The other thing is that I'm really honest about, like, who I work with. So if you're an action taker, if you wanna have a personal brand, if you wanna be visible, If you wanna have a powerful message and have impact, then that's what I focus on. If that's not the things that you want, then I can definitely refer you to other coaches that I know might be a better fit for you. So just really standing in and being confident in who you are, how you serve, the clients you wanna work with, and the way in which you work is, I guess, what I really wanna focus on with this question. Because if you're not clear why somebody should work with you, why would they be clear on why they should work with you. So we have to start building our confidence in our capability and being okay talking about what our zone of genius is so that people can come to us and be like, that's what I want. I love your energy around it.
Suz Chadwick [00:28:42]:
I love what you talk about. Like, that's what I'm here for. So spend time, if you haven't Done it already, knowing what makes you different, knowing why clients buy from you, knowing what it is about you that drew them in so that you can really amplify that more to attract more of those amazing clients. So those are the 8 questions that I want you to ask yourself. If you're making If you're not making the sales that you want, how can you be clearer? How can you get rid of any fluff? How can you do a spring clean of your services? How can you make sure that you are sharing exactly what the opportunity is and the value that somebody's gonna get when they work with you. Really looking into why people buy from you, understanding your top, middle, and bottom of funnel. Yeah? So those are questions to ask. Let me know how you go with them.
Suz Chadwick [00:29:37]:
What I've done is that I have just created a little worksheet sheet for you that you can go to the show notes and you can download if you go to sue Chadwick.comforward/podp0d301, Then you can go and sign up and grab that download as well, and you can work through some of these questions, which I think is gonna really help you to get Clear because I think sometimes people are like, I don't know why I'm not selling. And it might be that you're not showing up. You're not being visible. You're not communicating clearly. So many things. And so when we sit down and we work through it and we start to tweak and change that, then we can start to shift, like, what's happening in our business, and we can be in control of it. And we can test and try different things that we may not have tested and tried before that could absolutely be working for us. So If you enjoyed this episode, make sure that you share it and tell your friends about it.
Suz Chadwick [00:30:32]:
Go grab the worksheet as well. And if you've got any questions, obviously, head over to Instagram at This is Chadwick, and you can ask me any questions there. But otherwise, have an amazing week, and I will see you next time on the
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