As a business owner, you have to make a lot of tough decisions. One of them is when to let someone go or hire someone new for your team. If you plan this well, you can create a system for employee transitions, having the person who is leaving actually train your new hire.

Let me share an example. One of my students followed this series of steps for bringing on a new social media manager.

1. Put training in the contract. In the employment contract, a new team member is made aware that part of the responsibility will be to train a replacement should you part ways. This sends a clear message that people will explain duties and responsibilities of the position before departing the company.

2. Create a checklist. Have your current team member develop a checklist for all training that will be covered. This will work like a table of contents and can go at the beginning of all documentation for the position. For social media, you would include how often to post on each platform, details if you use a scheduler, credentials and passwords, etc.

3. Write an operations manual. Have the employee write the operations manual for the position, explaining all duties and responsibilities. This must be specific, going over all the actual tasks they complete as part of that job. Now you’ll have a handbook so someone new can look up how to do a particular task. Documenting the duties is extremely helpful for creating a smooth transition between employees and having a reference guide once the transition has been completed.

4. Set up a calendar for upcoming projects. Have your new team member work with your outgoing employee to create a calendar of the projects that are coming up. This ensures everything is planned and organized so your new employee knows what needs to be accomplished without any gaps. For example, with social media, you can plan Facebook posts that cover promotional messaging, content sharing and posting of photos for a few months into the future.

5. Schedule web sessions. If your team is not on site, using software like GoToMeeting allows employees to share screens for training purposes. This is excellent hands-on training so the new hire can see exactly how things are done. Many people learn best by actually going through the steps.

Here are a number of safeguards to keep in mind:
• On occasion, when there is a problem with an employee, make sure there isn’t going to be a lot of animosity while training the new hire. If you pick up on this, you may need to rethink your training process.
• Watch over how the training is going. Ask your new hire if there are any unanswered questions.
• Make sure your operations manual document is locked, so that once it’s finished, no one can change it or sabotage the process.
• Be sure to review the manual to ensure everything is in there and nothing gets left out or overlooked.

Your Client Attraction Assignment
Do you have training or operations manuals for all the positions in your company? If not, make that one of the goals for your next 90-day plan. This is a big project for your employees, so be sure you give them enough time to complete it and do a thorough job.

This is just one of the many best practices we dive deep into with the students of The Client Attraction Business School, the premier training school for growth-minded entrepreneurs looking to quickly attract more clients and make more money. If you’re interested in finding out more, visit www.ClientAttractionBusinessSchool.com for more details. To speak to an enrollment coach, click here.

When I talk to students who need to start leveraging or expanding their businesses, I often refer to where they are as being “in the soup.” It feels like you are swimming in a mess of things that need attention, and keeping your head above water (or the “soup”) is hard. This is a challenging time for most small business owners.

In addition to working with clients, you have all the back office work, and many owners say they are working practically 24/7. No one wants that! I’ve had students talk about losing friendships, not getting the exercise they need and not taking any time off. Or, they feel stressed out with no end in sight. This is when you know something has to change.

The shift begins as you get clear about your new direction. Maybe you want a system that automates a particular process or need to hire staff to create a team. Your business might require more structure for running certain programs. Sometimes business owners need to duplicate what they do so they can step aside to let the team handle day-to-day tasks and work on the bigger picture.

A team will help you stop working so hard “in your business” so you can start to work “on your business.” That’s where the business expansion really starts to show up. When you’re ready to leverage your business and create systems, your business requires two very important elements:

1. Planning
2. Patience

Plan your moves step by step
One way to ensure you start on the path to leveraging your business is to creat a 90-day action plan. After you decide on your goals, map out the steps to get the changes underway. That’s the beauty of planning. Once you define your direction, you can clearly see what needs to be done next.

Seeing what needs to get done is one thing… making it happen is another, and it can still feel overwhelming. Breaking your plan down into manageable pieces helps you feel these smaller steps are very doable. Take time to map out the steps so you can attack them one at a time. Your 90-day plan organizes the work, provides a time frame and gives you a date for completion.

Patience is more than a virtue
Executing your plan will take time. Creating systems and adding structure – these types of business changes don’t happen overnight. This is why patience is essential for you to carry out your vision for expansion. You cannot hurry the transition if you want it done well.

Your Client Attraction Assignment
My students in the Leverage Track of The Client Attraction Business School often have a buddy for support and accountability. When you share your 90-day plan with your buddy, you are making it real and putting it out there into the world. Find a friend who will help you stay on track (and you will do the same for him or her) so you both complete your 90-day plans.

This is just one of the many best practices we dive deep into with the students of The Client Attraction Business School, the premier training school for growth-minded entrepreneurs looking to quickly attract more clients and make more money. If you’re interested in finding out more, visit www.ClientAttractionBusinessSchool.com for more details. To speak to an enrollment coach, click here.

So, you have created your own proprietary system. Your clients work on one step, chapter or class at a time before progressing to the next. A system like this allows people to focus on and complete one segment, which is often needed before the next step can begin.

During your “get acquainted” calls with prospects, you might encounter questions about why someone needs to wait for weeks (or months depending on your program) to get all the steps. This is natural, because most people want to know everything as soon as possible. Yet, you know that’s not how your system works best.

My original proprietary program, The Client Attraction System, featured 10 steps. People were not be able to do step 10 until they had successfully implemented steps one, two, three, etc. all the way through nine. That’s how we now teach our curriculum of The Client Attraction Business School, So for example, you can’t put together marketing materials that pull the right people if you haven’t completed the section about identifying your ideal clients.

If I were to give students everything, all the steps upfront, they wouldn’t get the full benefit. They would get results, but not nearly as much as they would working through each section in chronological order. That’s why it’s important that I take students through this process in order.

If you have a system or long-term packages that work the same way, first describe your system and answer this objection before prospects even ask about it. Explain that you have created your step-by-step system for a reason. You found people need time to implement and see how each step builds on the one before it. Say something like, “The beauty of this program is that it provides a foundation to build on one step at a time.”

Learning one piece at a time helps people digest the material, act on it and get questions answered before moving forward. Getting ahead of yourself can make you feel confused and stressed.

People looking for a solution to a problem are in a rush to fix things. By including your description of how your system naturally builds step by step, you help prospects grasp how your program works and encourage them to get started right away. Following this formula will help you close more sales and get clients.

This is just one of the many best practices we dive deep into with the students of The Client Attraction Business School, the premier training school for growth-minded entrepreneurs looking to quickly attract more clients and make more money. If you’re interested in finding out more, visit www.ClientAttractionBusinessSchool.com for more details. To speak to an enrollment coach, click here.

Do you have a new marketing idea to promote your business? One of my students came to me with a great idea to promote her adventure company. She wanted to invite influential people from the area to experience her new local adventure for free. She figured these people would talk about the experience, which would create amazing word-of-mouth buzz and send her new customers.

The most important step in developing a promotional event like this one is to be very clear about your intentions right from the beginning. I recommend you take time to set a strategy by asking yourself these five questions:

1. What is my main objective for this promotional event?
You need to know what you want to get out of running the promotion. Maybe you want new customers or to bring in revenue. Perhaps your goal is to set up a referral system. Or you might want to create buzz and get influential people to talk about your promo across social media for strong social proof.

Get very clear on the reason why you are doing this promotion and spending money on it. Once you know why you are planning the promotion, then you can move forward with greater confidence that you are doing the right thing.

2. How much will the promotion cost?
Check out all the costs of creating a spectacular promotion and add them up. Think of everything including graphic design, printing, postage, hotel or room fees, virtual assistant time, food and beverage, flowers and decor, signage, tips, travel expense, etc. Don’t forget to add in something to cover your time so you get an accurate reflection of the true costs involved.

3. How many new customers would I need to cover the cost?
Getting clear on the numbers and what you need to break even is very important to your promotion’s success. This can be the difference between making and losing money. Figure out how many new clients you need to cover costs and then make that your goal.

4. If I charged a fee to cover my costs, what would that be?
Sometimes you can’t do a promotional event for free. Another option is to charge a nominal fee and tell people you are just covering costs, but not making money. Most people understand and will likely still want to attend, especially if this is a limited or “by invitation only” event. The more exclusive it sounds, the more people will want to attend.

5. What is the likelihood you’ll get the results you want?
Often business owners have a good idea if a promotion will deliver the results they want. Be extremely honest with yourself and think about the likelihood of success and the risks of the event. Taking calculated risks are frequently a big part of achieving new levels of income.

Your Client Attraction Assignment
Planning a marketing event can be a lot of fun, but don’t get lost in the creativity and excitement. First, make sure your idea is strategically sound. Answer the five questions above and check in with your accountability partner, mastermind group or a trusted colleague to be sure you’ve covered all the bases and thought of everything to create a successful sales promotion.

This is just one of the many best practices we dive deep into with the students of The Client Attraction Business School, the premier training school for growth-minded entrepreneurs looking to quickly attract more clients and make more money. If you’re interested in finding out more, visit www.ClientAttractionBusinessSchool.com for more details. To speak to an enrollment coach, click here.

Working with joint venture (JV) partners is a powerful way to grow your business. You can recommend and promote each other to extend your exposure and the number of people who learn about what you do. This is a great addition to other traditional means of list building, like collecting names at speaking engagements and offering a free gift on your website.

A recommendation from another professional adds credibility when you are being introduced to a new group of potential clients. This helps prospects open up to what you have to say and makes them more willing to consider your offer.

A good JV partner has alignment with your business
For a successful partnership, you need to have several things aligned in your two businesses:

1. You share the same target audience
2. Your businesses are not competitive
3. You are both trying to grow your business
4. You have similarly sized businesses

Reach out to potential partners
After you have identified some potential joint venture partners, the question is how do you connect with them? Below I’ve shared three different methods and each one can work very well.

1. Introductions. The best way to connect with a potential new partner is to be introduced by someone you know in common. This helps break through any possible barriers and starts to build trust early. Check LinkedIn to find connections if none immediately come to mind.

2. Leverage your intuition. Email a person you feel would be a good partner and say something like, “I keep getting these intuitive hints that we should be talking. Not sure if you believe in that sort of thing, but if you are open to it, I’d like to jump on the phone for a few minutes to see what we’re supposed to do together.”

3. Offer to contribute. If you know someone running a program with a bunch of JV partners and you’d like to be included, email and simply ask, “I see that you are having a great telesummit and I’m open to being a contributor. If you’re open to that, I would love to talk with you. There may be a way I can reciprocate and we’ll see where it goes.”

At first this kind of contact may seem awkward to you. Don’t worry, because after a little practice, you’ll feel more comfortable. Your skills will improve as you reach out to people and start getting a good response. Not everyone will be open to your offer to work together, but you don’t need them all. A few good, committed partners will help you grow your business faster than you can on your own.

Your Client Attraction Assignment
What kind of partners would you like to work with? Take time this week to look at business owners who serve the same target audience. Investigate how they work and present themselves. Make a list of the best potential partners you’ve discovered and then start reaching out.

This is just one of the many best practices we dive deep into with the students of The Client Attraction Business School, the premier training school for growth-minded entrepreneurs looking to quickly attract more clients and make more money. If you’re interested in finding out more, visit www.ClientAttractionBusinessSchool.com for more details. To speak to an enrollment coach, click here.

As a business owner working towards reaching the six-figure mark, you may run the risk of working yourself into the ground. This is particularly true for entrepreneurs as you revamp and tweak things to get to the next level. The problem is that when you work so hard that you start to burn out and deplete your energy, you actually can become “client unattractive” instead of “client attractive.”

Speaking for myself, when this happens I become cranky, resentful and sort of snappy… This is not the right energy or mindset for client attraction.

Here is the number one most important thing for you to realize as a self-employed individual:

There is no such thing as a completed to-do list.

Maybe this is possible in the corporate world, but it’s not for business owners. We always have more ideas about how to grow the company. That’s why it makes sense to follow these strategies to avoid overdoing things.

1. Set boundaries. When it’s getting late in the day and you are at the end of your rope, ask yourself, “Will anyone be harmed if I don’t complete this today?” This may sound like I’m going against my “no excuses” approach, but it’s different really…

Of course I want you to be willing to do what others are not willing to do and take the no excuses approach. The question is, “At what price?” You have a life, and you may have a spouse and children. Overtaxing yourself is not fair to anybody, especially you.

That’s why you must draw the line in the sand and have an end time to your day. At 5:30 or 6 or 7 P.M., you are done. Anything beyond this time will not be nearly as productive as you could be if you approached the task the next day after some rest. Make this end time non-negotiable and stick to it relentlessly.

2. Carve out time for business development. Sometimes the problem has to do with working in your business vs. working on it. That’s why I would rather carve out a day to focus on business development then try cramming it in late at night. In the end, overworking limits your ability to listen for the divine guidance you need. When you are too busy, you start ignoring the signs and gentle guidance. Set aside time to work on your business and separate this from your daily activities.

3. Understand your to-do list is never done. Sometimes you have to let yourself off the hook and the hardest boundary is often with yourself. Your to-do list will not get finished today – and that’s OK. If you rest and keep yourself energized, you’ll stay healthy and enthusiastic to tackle that list tomorrow. Your quality of life is very important. On occasion you may choose to work late, but not on a regular basis, so as to enjoy other aspects of life as well.

Your Client Attraction Assignment

Create a list of standards and terms of what you will accept for your life. Set boundaries and rules for yourself around these things and then stick to them to avoid burnout. It really is just as simple as that, and it will make all the difference in your quality of life.

This is just one of the many best practices we dive deep into with the students of The Client Attraction Business School, the premier training school for growth-minded entrepreneurs looking to quickly attract more clients and make more money. If you’re interested in finding out more, visit www.ClientAttractionBusinessSchool.com for more details. To speak to an enrollment coach, click here.

There is a certain degree of skill and nuance when it comes to writing sales copy that will attract clients. Finding out what makes great sales copy can dramatically change the number of people who convert from lookers to buyers. That’s why this is something worth learning about in a big way.

To make our lives easier at Client Attraction.com, we have followed a checklist of questions over the years that has been of tremendous help. The method gives you a model to work from and you can use it whether you are writing online copy, a sales letter or an email. In other words, it will help you no matter what the sales copy is for. This a great resource for understanding some of the key points to touch on when presenting your offer to prospects who are considering buying from you.

Go through this checklist of questions when you are writing great sales copy:
1. Who is your ideal client is and what matters to them?
2. What is the problem that keeps them up at 2am?
3. What are the different pain points regarding that problem they struggle with?
4. What solution would your ideal clients pay anything to get their hands on?

Lastly, keep in mind the end benefit of what you are selling. This is what people crave and what will help you attract clients. Don’t fall into the trap of talking about your method. Most people don’t care how you get them there nearly as much as that you can help solve their problem.

Your Client Attraction Assignment
Ready to write some sales copy? Do your homework of gathering all the information you need first before you get started. Using this checklist of questions will make the writing go so much more smoothly.

This is just one of the many best practices we dive deep into with the students of The Client Attraction Business School, the premier training school for growth-minded entrepreneurs looking to quickly attract more clients and make more money. If you’re interested in finding out more, visit www.ClientAttractionBusinessSchool.com for more details. To speak to an enrollment coach, click here.

When a big event happens in your life, there is often a message for you. Some sort of guidance can be gathered any time you have a big moment that makes you pause and think.

One of my students, Denise, recently came to me feeling confused about her circumstances. She had a serious car accident that totaled her vehicle, yet she walked away with only minor bruising (which was lucky). This shook Denise up and made her think about her life, business and the direction in which she was going. She told me she wasn’t sure what to do next.

Stop when you feel confused
I shared my own story and how every so often, I get confused too. There comes a point when I am learning so much and thinking of 20,000 opportunities, and then I feel stuck. I found that I actually don’t implement anything new because I’m overloaded. When this happens, I listen to my own inner guidance. Last time I heard, “Stop everything and take a 30-day break.” I kept working, but I didn’t take in any new information and instead put all learning and planning on hold.

Ask for help
See, we are always being guided, especially when we ask for help. Remember: “When you ask, it is given.” This is why asking for guidance is an essential part of the equation. Then, to get the guidance, you have to slow down. Keeping yourself super busy can prevent you from hearing the assistance you requested.

You might wonder, “If I am guided all the time, why do I get so frustrated?” The reason is because you are probably busy running around in circles and going into too many directions. This is so distracting that you cannot hear the guidance.

Quiet the mind and be open to receive
When you catch yourself feeling confused or frustrated, that’s your signal to slow down. It’s time to “clean the slate” so to speak, clear the decks and quiet the mind. If you are someone who knows how to meditate, that can be a huge help.

Do things that help you stop thinking so much
The way I achieve this more relaxed state is to stop learning and start journaling. For me, the act of journaling allows me to focus and ask for assistance. Then I write down whatever comes to mind. I also quiet my mind by playing with my children, going for a walk or reading a fashion magazine. All of these activities slow down my mind so I’m not thinking as much. Sometimes it takes a few hours, a few days or even a few weeks to start hearing the guidance.

For Denise, the car accident was her wake up call. She knew she had to slow down and take a look at what she was doing in the big picture. Denise decided to take a break to ask for help and then remain quiet to listen. If you find yourself in a similar situation, these are the steps to take to get back on the right track.

Your Client Attraction Assignment
Are you running in circles, feeling confused and not moving forward? If so, then find time to slow down. Stop learning anything new for a short period to give yourself a break from information overload. Quiet your mind, ask for help and create the space to get the answers you need. Your inner knowing will not let you down.

This is just one of the many best practices we dive deep into with the students of The Client Attraction Business School, the premier training school for growth-minded entrepreneurs looking to quickly attract more clients and make more money. If you’re interested in finding out more, visit www.ClientAttractionBusinessSchool.com for more details. To speak to an enrollment coach, click here.

Speaking in front of groups is a powerful marketing method that helps you connect with potential customers. The audience gets a sample of who you are and what you have to offer, and they get the chance to get to know, like and trust you. People listening will learn about your methods and knowledge.

This is why I so frequently recommend you give presentations whenever possible. Over time, the more speaking you do, the more opportunities will show up as people refer you for speaking engagements. For some speaking gigs, the meeting planner will ask for your Speaker Kit or Speaker Sheet, so you it’s necessary to have that prepared.

What’s Included in a Speaker’s Kit?

Professional speakers have kits that are many pages long, because people are paying them the big bucks and need to know specifics. For most purposes, a one page, two-sided sheet will be sufficient. Here is a guide of essential elements to include:

Page #1

1. Compelling Headline. Use your name and include a compelling reason or main benefit of why someone would want you to speak to his or her group or organization.

2. Professional Headshot. A good photo is vital to appear professional – don’t shortchange yourself by using a poor-quality image.

3. Brief Bio. Let people know you are the expert on your topics and include any media exposure you have received to show you are experienced.

4. List of Topics. Provide a few of your hottest presentations with titles and a short description.

5. Call to Action. Write a short call-to-action line at the bottom of Page 1 and provide your contact information and website.

Page #2

1. Headline about Audience Experience. Tell people how audiences react to your presentations. Do you leave people feeling inspired, ready to take action or with new creative ideas?

2. Photos of your Books or Products. Pictures of books or products are so much better than more words. Use a subheading that sums up these items. If you don’t have this, don’t worry.

3. Social Proof. A few testimonials from people who have booked you to speak or who have been in the audience can make a huge impression on the next person to schedule you for a presentation.

4. List of Clients or Speaking Gigs. Where have you given a presentation? Put the most impressive groups first to capture attention quickly.

5. Call to Action. You can use the same short call-to-action line at the bottom of the page.

Once completed, you’ll want to post your speaker sheet on your website as a downloadable PDF. Now you are ready for the big opportunity coming your way!

Your Client Attraction Assignment

To create a professional speaker sheet, I recommend you work with a graphic designer. Don’t risk making a poor impression by putting something together yourself. A strong graphic presentation goes a long way for proving credibility.

This is just one of the many best practices we dive deep into with the students of The Client Attraction Business School, the premier training school for growth-minded entrepreneurs looking to quickly attract more clients and make more money. If you’re interested in finding out more, visit www.ClientAttractionBusinessSchool.com for more details. To speak to an enrollment coach, click here.

Speaking provides a great opportunity to connect with new prospects and build awareness about what you do. When you are first starting out, I recommend taking every speaking gig you can get. That’s what I did when I was building my business.

Any speaking gig offers a chance to connect. Sometimes people will offer you a less time that you need to make your whole pitch. Maybe the venue isn’t optimal for giving a presentation. Maybe the people aren’t entrepreneurs or are a mixed crowd when you prefer all women. Don’t let that bother you. This is still a chance to practice speaking, hone your presentation and connect, because you simply never know what could happen.

As your business grows, you can become more selective and say no to some offers. You can even choose just the “cream of the crop” presentations if that’s what you want to do. It’s okay to be picky when you have plenty of business. But when you’re starting out, take every speaking opportunity that comes your way.

Even one new client increases your income. If you are starting out, you know that even one new client can be a huge addition to your business and revenue. However, to make the most of even a short presentation, you do have to approach it with the right mindset.

Your attitude about the speaking opportunity is everything! If you know me, then you know I believe mindset is 90 percent of your success. For instance, if you have a chip on your shoulder and think a particular speaking opportunity of only 10 minutes is a waste of time, you can count on being right about that. Your mindset completely influences your experience. It also impacts how others experience you.

Think about how you can be of service. What I suggest is to change your vibration about the gig from resentment or annoyance to this empowering thought: “How can I be of service?” Decide that you are going to give attendees so much value that they’ll walk away like changed people. In this way, you will make a good impression, share your brownies, practice speaking and possibly make some really strong new connections.

Speaking of speaking opportunities, I’d like to invite you to a presentation I’m giving at InfusionSoft’s annual conference for small business owners called ICON. It’s being held this March 31st – April 2nd in Phoenix, AZ, and my workshop is all about how to attract your ideal clients, authentically and consistently, and how to incorporate InfusionSoft into your Client Attraction systems. If you’d like to join me live at ICON, click here to buy a discounted ticket. Be sure to use to promo code “fabienne” at checkout to receive 10 percent off your registration.

Your Client Attraction Assignment
If you had only 10 minutes to deliver a presentation about your business, what would you say? This is a great exercise to cut out all the fluff and focus on what will have the biggest impact. How can you offer amazing value in a short presentation and make it memorable? When you get your speech down to just 10 minutes, you know you’re at the core of what you have to offer.

This is just one of the many best practices we dive deep into with the students of The Client Attraction Business School, the premier training school for growth-minded entrepreneurs looking to quickly attract more clients and make more money. If you’re interested in finding out more, visit www.ClientAttractionBusinessSchool.com for more details. To speak to an enrollment coach, click here.