10x Bigger or 2x Bigger?

Chances are, if I have a great idea, it's somebody else's :-)

Among my mentors, idols, and teachers in business are Jay Abraham, Dan Kennedy, Brian Tracy, and Dan Sullivan.

That last name might not be familiar to you, but Dan's a legend when it comes to coaching entrepreneurs. He may have been the very first to do so, some 30 years ago.

For two years, I got on a plane every 90 days and flew to Toronto to be coached by one of Dan's Strategic Coaches. Frequently, Dan would drop in and share some of his latest thinking with us.

What does this have to do with you?

Well, with July winding down, you may be making strategic plans for August, the rest of Q3, and the years beyond.

(If you're not, you should be!)

With that in mind, I thought, what better way to make strategic plans than with the guidance of The Strategic Coach, Dan Sullivan?

So, here's a great little video to introduce you to Dan's thinking.

It's called, Why Growing 10x Is Easier Than Growing 2x.



Please note: I make NO money from this recommendation. Dan doesn't even know I'm doing this. But I know you'll find it helpful. You'll probably want to watch it several times. So I'm happy to share it with you.

Now.

After watching the short 3-minute video above, you want to exchange ideas to build your business by 10x -- and IF your revenue currently exceeds $200,000 per year -- let's talk.

Background: I've helped explode sales by writing direct-mail sales letters for

• a 21-store retail chain ... 
• a carpet cleaner ... 
• an insurance agent ... 
• a travel agent ... 
• a commercial cleaning company ... 
• a real estate investor ... 
• and too many others to list here

You can learn more about what I do -- and see if you qualify for a FREE copy of my book, 21 Quick Ways to Get More Clients, here.

The Best Sale is the One Not Made

The Chinese military sage Lao Tzu never said anything about selling. But if he did, he might have said this: "The best sale is the one not made."

In other words, the easiest, most-profitable sales happen when your current clients buy from you again OR they send you a hot, pre-qualified referral.

In either case, little or no selling is required on your part. So, anything you can do to encourage repurchases and referrals is an extremely valuable activity.

Here are 3 ways to do it:

1. Surprise gifts
What do you deliver, in person or by email/snail mail, to pleasantly surprise your best clients?

Nothing? Uh-oh. Fix that. Start by mailing a simple, hand written (or at least hand-signed) thank-you note.


2. Welcome package
What can you do to make sure new clients get the most from their relationship with you?

Here's a hint: Think of all the questions new clients usually ask. Now answer them in writing. Then send that "how to" guide to clients along with their first purchase. Clients will appreciate your thoughtfulness and get better results -- two ways to ensure a repurchase or referral.


3. Something extra
Beyond any surprise gift or welcome package, what can you do for clients that will delight them?

I like to send my best clients books or book summaries every few months. Such gifts are unexpected -- and appreciated.

Don't have the time or money to mail your clients gifts? You can at least email them links to helpful articles, with the message: "Saw this, thought of you."

Bottom line: The best sale is the one not made. Anything you can do to "sell without selling" -- by fostering repurchases and referrals -- is among the very best uses of your time.

Meanwhile, if you want to put an end to "feast or famine" syndrome in your business, my free Client Cloning Kit can help. Grab your free copy now, while they last.

Addition by Subtraction: Are You Choking Your Profits?

Many of the biggest breakthroughs in businesses have come from subtraction.

Examples: 

• Subtract bank tellers from a bank and you get ATM machines
  
• Subtract travel from out-of-town meetings and you get GoToMeeting.com
  
• Subtract stamps from mail and you get email

You get the idea. By removing a limiting factor, you can unleash greater productivity and growth.

That's the good news.

The bad news? In your business, YOU are a limiting factor -- right now.

Here's why: Any process that requires your time or your physical presence is a limiting factor. Because in any workweek, there are only so many suits you can sew, pictures you can paint, cakes you can bake.

If you are "doing the thing" in your business, you are a choke point.

So answer this key question: How could you subtract yourself from your business and scale up to serve more people, more profitably? 

Example: If you provide a service, the logical "subtraction" is to turn what you do into a product. Top consultants, like Seth Godin and Tom Peters, do this all the time -- they write books.

Stated differently: What could you write, film, record, or otherwise put in a box that would remove your from your business processes and let you scale up?

The answer to that question is your shortcut to growth.

Meanwhile, if you want to put an end to "feast or famine" syndrome in your business, my free Client Cloning Kit can help. Grab your free copy now, while they last.