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This is a true story about mindset and business. I had a client not long ago whose specialty is coaching newly single women. This coach is very expert at what she does, has studied extensively over many years to create her program, and isn’t afraid to market herself in the least. She has a radio show, frequently speaks, and has a regularly published e-zine. You don’t talk with her and think about mindset and sabotage.
One day we were talking about her frustration at getting new customers to commit for more than a month of her program. Her point to me was that no woman gets past such a significant life change as divorce or death in 30 days. She really wanted her clients to work with her for a minimum of 3 months, knowing that it takes at least that long to truly benefit from her program.
After a pause in our conversation I simply said to her “why not just eliminate your 1 month offer and let the entry into your program be a three month long offer?” And this talented, go-get-it, savvy woman said to me, “Oh, I don’t think anyone would just jump into a three month program with me.”
There it was! A mindset that created a huge stuck place in my client’s businses! Her reaction clearly showed a mindset that prevented several things.
- Her mindset made it harder for her to engage the type of woman she really wanted to work with the most.
- It made it hard to think of her program as “worth” 3 months.
- It made it hard for her to increase her income by cutting out a short program that wasn’t really profitable for her, and raising her price for a 3 month program.
- It stopped her from offering cleaner, more focused program descriptions and marketing around what she really wanted to do.
- Most of all, her mindset made it harder for her to attract the people who most need her service, only because she didn’t believe the worth of what she was offering.
Read that again…..you know….that part about “believe in the worth of what you are offering.” That belief is the core of marketing that works. For solo professionals and small business owners to have belief in their own products and services is 100% critical.
If your own mind is set to devalue and doubt what you most have to offer in service to others, you’re marketing with a strait jacket on. Your mind wraps itself around false beliefs and your heart constricts. Your “voice of unworthiness” starts screaming at the top of its lungs. Nothing good comes from a blocked and stuck mindset.
Your mindset can sabotage your dreams. It can keep you from fully allowing your dreams to become known to you. That’s not only sad; it’s counterproductive for your life. My advice is to listen to your dreams, no matter how outlandish they may seem at the time. Just listen, give them space to be. You might be surprised what happens in your business and in your life.
Mitch Tublin says
September 8, 2013 at 10:50 pmOur view of ourselves is the key to our success.
It begins with our mindset absolutely.
Mick says
March 22, 2016 at 6:27 amAgreed.
Jessica says
September 8, 2013 at 10:11 amI also find that people who have been doing their work for a long time forget how valuable it is to someone who is hearing it for the first time. Their mindset is that their work is “obvious” because they’ve been doing it so long. But it’s not obvious to someone who has never heard it before and is willing to pay for it.
Fay says
September 15, 2013 at 9:23 pmThat’s so true! I often find myself falling into exactly what you’ve said!!
Tiffany deSilva says
September 8, 2013 at 9:58 amThis is a great example of how your mindset can really get in the way of serving your clients and creating a profitable business. I always remind my clients that you want to package your services so that you generate a good income AND your clients get fantastic results. When you don’t have these 2 things, you aren’t just sabotaging your success, you are also sabotaging your clients success by not offering them what they really need.
Samantha says
September 7, 2013 at 5:02 pmI am learning more and more that mindset is everything. Thanks for the helpful reminder. I like the idea of taking away the lowest option because it would take up more time. I just recently structured my program to offer 3,6, and 9 months. I totally took off the hourly option. I only want to attract my ideal clients.
Trudy Scott Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist says
September 6, 2013 at 9:40 pmLove it! and love the example you give. The mind is SO powerful – both ways – believing something is possible and also believing it’s impossible!
Bill Painter says
September 5, 2013 at 9:36 pm“For solo professionals and small business owners to have belief in their own products and services is 100% critical.” How true! If you wouldn’t buy your own product, why would you expect others to do so.
Mira Dessy says
September 5, 2013 at 9:16 amGreat advice!! I was trying to decide if I should do away with a month-to-month service that I have and this article made me realize that yes I should. I need to re-evaluate the program and look at what I know clients NEED to be successful and frame it that way so they can achieve their goals. Thank you for this great post.
Sue Painter says
September 5, 2013 at 10:24 amHi Mira,
I’m glad this was timely for you. Great!
Sue
Mary Ellen Miller says
September 3, 2013 at 2:52 pmSue, this is so true. We’ve all seen savvy business people self-sabotage. I particularly like the way you use the word “voice.” I think that your actual voice including its inflections is so important in selling and confidence building.
Betsy Baker says
September 2, 2013 at 6:06 pmSue, this really hits home! I’ve recently had a mindset shift when it came to my business. I realized that it was only me holding me back! My ideal clients are those that already have a website, have been around the block a little but still aren’t making the kind of money they want. Newbies but with a little tread on them. 😉 I was getting so frustrated at the kind of client I seemed to be attracting until it dawned on me that my writing was what was attracting this type of unwanted client. Write for the client you want! I’d heard this coaching at least a hundred times but it finally got through my hard head. Like I said, this post just particularly hit home with me. Thank you!
Sue Painter says
September 2, 2013 at 7:26 pmGlad this was helpful for you, Betsy.
Hazel says
September 2, 2013 at 1:58 pmSo true Sue. Over the years I’ve seen this way too often, more often with women, because they haven’t yet learned just how powerful their subconscious really is. Thanks for showing it so much more clearly.
Sue Painter says
September 2, 2013 at 3:45 pmYou’re welcome, Hazel. Thanks for your comment.
Sue
Heidi Alexandra Pollard says
September 1, 2013 at 5:58 pmGreat advice about mindset Sue – it is so true that our human frailty is that our mindset can sabotage our dreams.
If we really want to shoot for the stars we have to start with an awareness of our mindset and beliefs and be present with where they are taking us.