The past couple of weeks, I have been coasting.
Hiding.
I’ve been absent here.

I have been doing the exact thing I always say you should not be doing, if you want to build a business, which is;
To not show up.

Or, to simplify:
Show up -> builds business
Not show up -> does not build business

And I’m not talking about showing up for already paying clients and for already running programs and projects, but specifically about showing up PUBLICLY.
And show up SELLING.

Most independents have not build their business around the act of selling.
They are built around the practice of doing, of executing the work.
A yoga teacher has built their business around teaching yoga, not selling it.
A graphic designer around designing, not selling it.
And even many “real” businesses, meaning not one person but multiple people working there, are designed around offering the opportunity to buy a product, not around selling them.

Or the independents or businesses work around very lengthy, complicated , political, behind-the-scenes projects that run for months before any deal is sealed, let alone before anyone gets paid.

The art of selling, and of investing in something you can easily and happily sell everyday, is an underrated one.
But it is one of the very few things that will guarantee your success and even survival under the most radically changing conditions.
Because the time it will take before you find out your average monthly sales are not made, or your year total has severely dropped, will always be a lot longer than if you are used to handling daily or weekly sales totals.

And if you have long lead times, the number of things you have tried to adapt to the new circumstances, and get your business up and running again, will always be significantly lower than if you get feedback from your sales numbers every day.

Having monthly or quarterly sales (instead of daily sales) means you do not have your fingers in the pie;
It puts you at incredible financial risk.

Now, I know there are entire industries based on these long, business-to-business processes of selling one-million dollar software systems and so on.
I know.
Not going to get into that, just hope I made my point that it is worth giving it your best shot to find something that allows you to break away from that, and get cash-flow you can manage daily.
Instead of praying to the Gods your five big clients will do their side of the deal this year.

If not selling daily because you are partial to only having a few big clients  is “big player syndrome”, then there is another reason not to sell daily which can be found in particular with service providers on the consumer market:
Small player syndrome.

The idea that you are not allowed to ask more than others in your industry, and that you are there primarily to serve your clients, and not to sell or make money.

Aside from the psychological reasons behind small player syndrome- which are understandable because it does require you to be visible and stand out from “the tribe”- it is important to realize that not providing for “your company” financially, is a dangerous game.
If your business does not survive, you cannot serve your clients either. So you may want to reconsider, or think of other ways to fund your business f.e. patrons & donations.

But there is more at stake.

Money is the bloodline not just of your business, but of your industry as a whole.
Everything your industry stands for, the message it is here to bring, the  good you are here to do, the lineage you are here to continue from the teachers or artists who came before you and everybody you personally owe for what it is you know, or everybody who has built the business or industry before you;
You are putting it all in jeopardy.

The voice that is going to survive, the system that is going to survive, the skillsets that are going to survive, the craftmanship that is going to survive, the businesses and the industries that will stand the test of time;
Are the ones that make money.

And to do that, for you to have a healthy business or for an industry to stand the test of time, you/ your industry needs to do two things:
1. it needs to sell things
and
2. it needs to sell different things when the market changes.
This second point is what is referred to as a change in business model. For example taking a service from brick and mortar business to online.

If you or your industry have “small business syndrome” you’re not taking selling under (1) seriously.
You’re facilitating that people can buy from you, if they would really look into it, but you’re not creating opportunities for them to see you and immediately making it clear what they can buy or how they can work with you.
You’re not actively and creatively engaging in the act of selling.

And if you or your industry are “big player syndrome” sufferers, with only a few big clients, you are not hands-on enough in your sales to notice your current offer is no longer selling.
That something has changed and that you should be finding out what, and adjust accordingly.

Having a daily sales routine is a healthy habit, and very effective to combat both small- as well as big player syndrome.

Daily selling puts you in that driver’s seat, with your eyes on the road and you’ll build your feel for the market each day, every day.
Instead of putting it on autopilot and finding out months or years later.

The reason I was absent from selling, and from this site, is because I am starting a new Dutch business. For my yoga no less!
An industry where even the biggest players have fallen, and most never even get started to begin with.
If I would get a penny out of every dollar spent on unused yoga teacher training certificates, word wide?
I would never have to work again.

So it took some time to figure out, how to get it right this time. How to build a yoga business that will be profitable.
A business with a healthy flow of money, that will survive anything that is thrown at it.

But it all came down to one thing. And it’s the same thing that will guarantee your success, regardless of what industry you are in;
Find something you can sell.

Not four times a year to four big clients.
Not by opening your doors and waiting for people to walk in who are exactly looking for your service or product. 
Not by being a friendly neighborhood whatever, who is uncomfortable wearing their professional boots.

Find something you can sell;
And sell it every day.

Repeat.

.
~Suzanne
become the Rock Star you were born to be

Every week I offer 1 or 2 spots to an entrepreneur, artist or Rock Star who wants to break the chains of their industry and design their own unique offer; NOW!
It is called Specify. Sell. Repeat. and I sell it every week, on my socials:
Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn

Specify. Sell. Repeat.

A SESSION JUST FOR YOU

A one-on-one workshop for you, artist, professional, creative or entrepreneur.
You are already deeply in love with what you do, but the financial result?
Not so much.
Yet!

In one 2 hour session, we’re going to extract the service or product you would love to sell, and under the conditions that suite your agenda.

It is called:
Specify. Sell. Repeat.
And it is not in my standard offerings- it will be scheduled weekly, on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

The introductory price of “Specify. Sell. Repeat.” is € 297, which is again not something I usually share because Catacombe works with full confidentiality, including its prices.

But it demonstrates what it looks like to make your offers specific;
Specify a what (a 2 hour session), when (next week), and the price.

For your business we’re going to look for something that’s:
🎯 in your zone of genius
📏 can be made specific (what, when, how)
💎delivers clear value to your client
🌊And is powerful yet effortless

In “Specify. Sell. Repeat.” we’re taking what it is you love doing, and design it into a service or product.
A true gem, that you would love to sell daily;
Creating happy customers, and a happy you!

Let’s create your ready-to-sell offer, and email me at
s_beenackers@hotmail.com
Include a link to your current company website, or website as an independent; or a social platform you actively use for business.

Your application always remains confidential and if I can help you, we start right away.
All applications are treated with respect and dignity.

I look forward to seeing you.

You got this!

~Suzanne
https://catacombenijmegen.com/terms-conditions/

Permission to sell granted, Rock Star
| 2023 05 23: Specify. Sell. Repeat.
is the eleventh Catacombe Rock Star post
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Catacombe offers international Rock Star mentoring & business coaching:
https://catacombenijmegen.com/current-offer/

& I offer in-person business coaching in Nijmegen.
https://catacombenijmegen.com/nederlands-dutch/