What are the buying barriers in your business?  What is keeping prospective clients from saying yes?  Take some time and really think about this.

If you don’t know, tell people about your business and ask them the main reason they would hesitate buying.

You can also ask clients who have already hired you what doubts or questions they had before they hired you.

Some common buying barriers are:     

- Fear (fear of taking action, of making the wrong decision)

- Investment (price)

- Uncertainty (about what they’ll get)

Removing buying barriers is not, I stress not, about discounting your fees.  Because the value is either there or it isn’t.  It’s about making it easier for prospective clients to say yes.

So how do you address buying barriers?  Here are some solutions:

FEAR BARRIER: Create a way for prospective clients to sample your business to be sure it’s the right solution for them (more on this here).  You can also offer a guarantee.

INVESTMENT BARRIER: Offer a payment plan and/or reduce the time commitment.  Cleary communicate the value they will receive.

UNCERTAINTY BARRIER: Identify and communicate all of the details about what clients will get, how it will work, and the results they will experience. You can put this on your website and create a FAQ section.

One barrier I recently removed from my business is the request to work together for at least six months (now clients can hire me for one month at a time).  Yes, I know that if you want to attract more clients and transform your business it is reasonable that it can take six months.

And often times, clients want to work together for even longer than that.  But some prospective clients only need help with one specific area and don’t require lengthy support.  So by offering coaching for one month a time, they have an offer that fits their needs and allows them to get exactly what they want.

If it is important to the success of your offering to have a required time frame, by all means keep it and explain why it is relevant.  You don’t want to reduce the effectiveness of your offerings in order to make a sale.

An option to remove a buying barrier in this case is to offer a payment plan where you spread the investment out over a few weeks or months.

You can also choose to offer both fixed packages and cafeteria style offerings (selling individual parts of a bigger offering).

This is what’s so thrilling about owning your own business.  It’s your business, which gives you the power to decide how to create, package, and offer your offerings.

To remove the buying barriers in your business: start by identifying what they are, take action to eliminate them, and then communicate your newly structured offer with prospective clients.

© Stephanie Ward, 2009

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this information with it: Stephanie Ward is the Marketing Coach for Entrepreneurs who want to set their profits on fire!  Grab your FREE copy of the special report ’7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time’ plus business building tips, at: http://www.fireflycoaching.com.

As a business owner your time is precious.  You probably have multiple requests from people that are pulling you in many directions.  But, if you say yes to every invitation that comes your way, you will not have time for the activities that are critical to growing your business.

What I frequently hear from my clients is that they don’t have enough time for everything that needs to be done in their businesses.  Since we all have the same amount of time, it really comes down to making choices.  So how do you know what to choose?

Start by making a list of the strategic activities that are essential to the growth of your business.  These are the actions to say yes to.  Say no to anything that doesn’t fall under your strategic activities.  This is what it means to set business boundaries.

It may sound simple, but many people find that saying no is an extremely difficult thing to do. 

What’s keeping you from saying no more often?  Some of the reasons people struggle with saying no are:

* Fear of conflict

* Wanting to be liked

* Afraid of not being asked again

* Feeling guilty

* Unsure about how to say it

Have you ever agreed to do something and then later felt angry, anxious, or overwhelmed about it wishing you had said no?  Saying yes when you want to say no is a huge energy drain and distracts you from the things you really want to do for your business.

The good news is that saying no is like any new skill, with practice is becomes much easier.  And even better, it is extremely empowering.  Start with something small and build from there.

Remember, you don’t have to give an answer on the spot.  If someone asks you to do something and you’re not sure, you can always say something like “let me check my schedule and I’ll get back to you.”  That way you have time to consider what is best for your business.

Many times if you’re not sure, this may be an indication that the answer is no.  Have you heard the expression: “Doubt means don’t”? 

In addition, you may be surprised to find that most people respect your answer, even when it is a no.  If they don’t, it may be a sign that it is not a balanced relationship.

Setting boundaries in your business will create more space and energy for you to move forward and reach your goals faster and easier.  And that’s not all; when you set and enforce your boundaries you will have more confidence, be more attractive, and feel more relaxed.

Why not start saying no today?  Once you know how you want to use your time, it will be easy to identify things you can say no to.  This will create time for strategic action.  When you say yes only to the most important (and profitable) actions for your business you will see your business grow. 

© Stephanie Ward, 2008

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this information with it: Stephanie Ward is the Marketing Coach for Entrepreneurs who want to set their profits on fire!  Grab your FREE copy of the special report ’7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time’ plus business building tips, at: http://www.fireflycoaching.com.

What’s stopping you from doing the things you know you want to do in your business?  Not enough time and a lack of focus can be obstacles to taking action.  But take a closer look and see if these are the real issues. 

Is it possible that you really do know what you need to do but that fear is stopping you?

Fear is a four letter word but it doesn’t have to mean something bad. Here is an acronym for fear from an unknown author which sheds new light on the word, “Fear: False Evidence Appearing Real.”

You can choose to see fear as a sign.  A sign to take a closer look at the actions you are taking (or not taking) and to decide to make some changes.

Fear can sometimes cause inaction.  When it’s too scary, you may decide to do nothing. So how can you move past the fear and get into action?

Before you can tackle your fears you first have to identify them.  The more specific you can be the better.  Pay attention to your thoughts and notice if you are thinking about fearful outcomes.

Here are some possible fears you may be experiencing.

FEAR OF MAKING THE WRONG DECISION

Does the phrase, ‘What if?’ keep popping into your head when you think about taking an action?  Well, go ahead and ask yourself.  What is the worst thing that could happen?  Usually it isn’t that bad.  And remember, no matter what happens you can probably deal with it.  

FEAR OF FAILURE

Everyone defines failure in their own way.  Personally, I don’t think in terms of failure.  There are just different and new choices.  If you do something and it doesn’t work out the way you planned, you can simply choose a different path.

FEAR OF REJECTION

No one likes to be rejected.  But what if it weren’t possible to be rejected?  What if you shifted your perception and instead of thinking in terms of being ‘accepted’ or ‘rejected’ you thought in terms of finding the right fit.  It’s natural that not everyone will be a fit with your business.  Stay focused on reaching the people who are.

FEAR OF SUCCESS

Yes, this seems strange but is often true.  You may actually be afraid of succeeding.  One reason for this can be your thoughts about what other people will think about you.  Something like, ‘Who does she think she is.’  Another reason can be that you believe that if you do really well, it’s bound to take a turn for the worse and you will be back where you were.  No matter what the reason, you can choose to believe that you deserve to be successful and you can remain so. 

Growing yourself and your business means that you must continually stretch yourself.  And stretching can feel uncomfortable or scary sometimes.  It can also be refreshing and exciting!  When is the last time you felt super charged by an action you took?  Maybe it’s time for a massive injection of fearless action.

Don’t wait another minute.  Take time to discover if fear is keeping you from taking action in your business.  Then get clear about an action you can take that will move your business forward and do it!  Remain attentive and be aware of when fear appears and gets in your way.  The next time it shows up, you’ll know how to tackle it!

© Stephanie Ward, 2007

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this information with it: Stephanie Ward is the Marketing Coach for Entrepreneurs who want to set their profits on fire!  Grab your FREE copy of the special report ’7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time’ plus business building tips, at: http://www.fireflycoaching.com.

Do you know how much time you spend on your business being ‘in motion’ instead of ‘in action’?  Are you aware of the difference?  Motion keeps you busy.  Action creates momentum and the results you want.   

Think of it this way, action is something that moves you closer to your goals.  Action has direction.  Motion is simply movement in no particular direction, and can mean going in circles. 

I don’t want to introduce a new tactic or strategy, I want you to take action on strategies you already have in place (or have been planning to put into place).  You know enough, you are ready, now is the time.  No more waiting!

You probably have a list of things you are planning to do.  What is one thing on your list which appeals to you, that you are willing to take action on right now? 

Here are some possibilities:

* Pick up the phone and make that call you have been avoiding

* Follow through with a prospect by sending an interesting article

* Send out that press release

* Get your articles published

* Start your own ezine

* Sign up for that networking event and go

If you’re not quite ready to start a new action why not take a look at what is working in your business and do more of it.  If speaking attracts new clients to your business speak more.  If networking brings you business, attend more events.  If direct marketing works, expand your list.  Get the idea?

I can hear you saying, that’s a good idea but…  Imagine what would happen if you chose to skip the “yeah butts” and just went ahead and took action.

Delaying action is a waste of time and energy.  Every time you think about doing something and then don’t, is time you could have used to actually get it done.

Fear is often the cause of inaction.  See if you can identify the specific fear you have about taking a particular action.  Then ask yourself, is it real?

What would be the worst thing that could happen if you moved forward?  Usually you’ll find that the reality of the situation is much less scary than you had imagined.

Keep moving forward by taking one step at a time.  What could you do right now, no matter how small it seems, to move your business ahead.  You are creative, find a way to make progress even if it isn’t how you originally planned. 

Action does require courage.  If it’s not just a little bit scary then my guess is that you are not stretching yourself.  The good news is that you can take action even if you feel scared; it doesn’t have to stop you. 

Scary can be exciting, think about taking a ride on a roller coaster.  You might be scared but you do it anyway because you know it will be thrilling. 

But that’s just part of the story.  When you take action, in addition to building your business, you also build your confidence which will inspire you to take even more action.

At the end of each day you want to ask yourself this question: ‘What action did I take today that will help me reach the goals I have for my business’?  And you want to have a clear and resounding answer!

The bottom line is you have the power to take action right now, today, and every day after that.  So tap into your courage and be willing to do what you know will create a more profitable business.

© Stephanie Ward 2007

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this information with it: Stephanie Ward is the Marketing Coach for Entrepreneurs who want to set their profits on fire!  Grab your FREE copy of the special report ’7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Time’ plus business building tips, at: http://www.fireflycoaching.com.