No Email List? No Problem. How I Got Booked Solid With Clients In 6 Months Using These 5 Strategies Every Day. by Jason Billows 2014 Jason Billows Inc. JasonBillows.com 1
About Me. Let me tell you why I do what I do. My story began in 2008, which was in many ways the worst AND the best year of my life. During that time my 10 year marriage came to an unexpected and difficult end, I lost all passion for my work, my health was at an all time low, and to top it off I suffered a back injury that left me in excruciating pain and unable to move from bed or leave the house for six months. People would tell me that at least it couldn t get worse, but then it would. Needless to say it was a dark time. However, that year also allowed me the opportunity to reflect upon my life. I began wondering what my purpose was, what I truly wanted out of relationships, and what real health (mental, physical and spiritual) would look like for me. I took action. I created a vision for my life and began to passionately pursue it. It was hard work, but it payed off. Since then I ve met and married an incredible woman who I have two amazing children with. I ve regained my health and have completed dozens of triathlons, including three Ironman races. And, I also discovered a profession that is at the centre of my purpose coaching. I have a saying that I live by Even the smallest pebble, dropped into the largest ocean, will ripple to the furthest shores. 2014 Jason Billows Inc. JasonBillows.com 2
In other words, everything we do, no matter how small, will have a ripple effect on this world in ways that we can t even imagine. That s true for both the positive and the negative actions we take. And that s why it s so important that we choose our pebbles wisely and consider what impact we want to have on the world. I believe that as a coach, I can have a positive and lasting impact not only on my clients, but on the world. Yes, I help my clients to build thriving businesses, but I do more than that. Drawing upon my expertise and experience as a leadership coach, I also help my clients to become leaders in their industry, their community, and their personal lives. I m passionate about working with difference makers those people who not only want to build a business, but who want to make a difference in the world through their work. Whether you re a life coach, a consultant, a realtor, a massage therapist, a plumber, or anything in between, if you want to make a difference, I can help. And so, that s why I do what I do. I want to help make the world a better place, one client at a time. 2014 Jason Billows Inc. JasonBillows.com 3
Thank you. If you re a small business owner or service provider I want to say thank you. Why? Because I m going to assume that you decided to build your business to serve a need, help others, or make a difference in some way. That s important work and you re awesome for carrying that torch. I also know that building a successful business isn t easy. Trust me, I ve been there. But it doesn t have to be so difficult or frustrating. I want to help you cut through a lot of the crap and fluff that s out there, so you can focus on the strategies, systems, and tools to get more clients, in less time, and with less stress. That s why I ve created this guide. I m going to show you that a mailing list isn t necessary, and that you can build your business by focusing on 5 Strategies every day. A word of caution these 5 Strategies are deceivingly simple. Don t let that fool you. They work, IF you work them, so please take action. Commit to implementing these 5 Strategies for the next month and see what happens. One final note. If this guide isn t your personal copy, you should visit www.jasonbillows.com and sign up to receive my FREE updates and other goodies that you re currently missing out on. And if you have any feedback or questions, please don t hesitate to get in touch with me - jason@jasonbillows.com. Let s get started. 2014 Jason Billows Inc. JasonBillows.com 4
What The Gurus Say. It seems that every marketing guru today claims that you need to have an email list to get clients and make a living. That s not true, and I m proof. Within 6 months of launching my first coaching business, I was booked solid with clients, and I had no mailing list. Instead, I focused on 5 Strategies every day, and the results were incredible. Don t get me wrong. A mailing list is a great tool for growing your business, but it can take months or years to build a mailing list, and by then you could be flipping burgers at your local burger joint instead of doing the work you love and serving the people you re meant to serve. I want to help you get clients NOW, and these 5 Strategies are the best way you can spend your time. Your Network. The 5 Strategies I m going to teach you will be built upon your existing network. Your network includes family, friends, colleagues, clients, and anyone else that you have a relationship with. You may be wondering if your network is large enough for these 5 Strategies to work. The answer is YES. It doesn t take a large network to get the ball rolling. And, as you implement these strategies, your network will grow, creating a snowball effect that will lead to more and more clients. 2014 Jason Billows Inc. JasonBillows.com 5
The 5 Strategies. Business are built on relationships, and that is even more true for service professionals. If someone knows you, trusts you, believe you are credible, and has a need that you can fulfill, they ll purchase your products and services. If done every day, These 5 Strategies will build trust, credibility, and your network, and will create a snowball effect of clients into your business. The 5 Strategies are: 1. Share what you know. 2. Share who you know. 3. Share how you feel. 4. Make new connections. 5. Request referrals. Let s break these 5 Strategies down, explain what they are, and show you how to implement them. 2014 Jason Billows Inc. JasonBillows.com 6
#1 Share What You Know. Every day you re going to share something you know with a minimum of 3 people in your network. This can include information, blog posts, articles, or anything else that the recipient will find valuable. Make sure it s relevant to the person you re sharing with. If you ve discovered a great article about bungee jumping, an 80 year old grandmother probably won t be interested, but a 25 year old adventure loving thrill seeker would probably be psyched. A great source for inspiration is to to read newsletters and magazines, browse websites you re interested in, and subscribe to blogs. Mine is a great place to start, at www.jasonbillows.com. Email is typically the easiest way to share what you know, but be sure to personalize each message you send. You want your recipient to feel special, not that they were part of a mass emailing. And don t simply send a link. Let them know that you were thinking about them and find ways to connect at a deeper level by asking questions or sharing your personal thoughts on the items your sending them. 2014 Jason Billows Inc. JasonBillows.com 7
Why do we share what we know? Because it let s people know you re thinking of them and they ll appreciate the value you re delivering to them. That will in turn build trust, and the person will be more likely to become a client, help you build your business in some way, or become a potential referrer. Action Step 1: Create a folder to save all of the interesting information, articles, and resources you come across. Then, when you implement this strategy every day, you ll have plenty to share. 2014 Jason Billows Inc. JasonBillows.com 8
#2 Share Who You Know. Every day you re going to introduce a minimum of 2 people in your network. Look for people with a connection that is relevant to them. For example, you may introduce people because they re in the same line of work and would benefit from talking. Or, you may introduce people who work in very different industries, but share an interest such as a love for kayaking. Don t overthink your introductions. A simple email like this one is usually sufficient: 2014 Jason Billows Inc. JasonBillows.com 9
Worried that you don t have enough people in your network to use this strategy? Check this out If you have a network with only 10 people, and you introduce each person in that network to everyone else in the network, you ll make a total of 45 introductions. Don t focus on what you are lacking. Instead, leverage the network you do have an you ll grow your network in no time. Why do we share who we know? Because it let s people know you re thinking of them and they ll appreciate the value you re delivering to them through the introductions. That will in turn build trust, and the person will be more likely to either become a client, help you build your business in some way, or become a potential referrer. Action Step 2: Review your existing list of contacts and identify common interests and professional connections. Make note of these and use them to make relevant introductions every day. 2014 Jason Billows Inc. JasonBillows.com 10
#3 Share How You Feel. Every day you re going to share how you feel with a minimum of 1 person in your network. Huh? What do I mean by share how you feel? Okay, don t get freaked out by this touchy feely suggestion. When we share how we feel we simply let someone in your network know that we re thinking of them and appreciate them. It could be something as simple as wishing them a happy birthday, or as thoughtful as telling them you value and appreciate the work they do and the impact they ve had on you. Special occasions, both personal and professional, are often great opportunities to share how you feel. The key is to make it sincere. Email can certainly work, but since this is a personal connection, a more personal way of connecting may be more appropriate. Consider a hand written note, a phone call, or even a personal video message. Why do we share how we feel? I don t want to sound like a broken record, but it s because it let s people know you re thinking of them and they ll appreciate it. That will in turn build trust, and the person will be more likely to either become a client, help you build your business in some way, or become a potential referrer. Action Step 3: Many people shy away from sharing how they feel in their professional life, but this is an excellent strategy to build trust. Review your contact list and identify the people you most admire. Every day let one of those people know why you admire them. 2014 Jason Billows Inc. JasonBillows.com 11
#4 Make New Connections. Every day you re going to connect with a minimum of 1 person you don t know. The size of your network is directly related to the size of your business. To grow your business, you need to grow your network. Yes, it will organically grow over time if you share what you know, who you know, and how you feel. However, it s important that you take a proactive approach to growing your network. Who do you want to connect with? Identify people that can help you grow your business. Maybe that s a potential client, or maybe it s an influencer that can help you in another way. For example, if you write a blog, maybe there is an influential blogger who you d like to write a guest post for one day. How do you go about connecting with these people? Email is often the easiest ways to connect. If you can find their email address, often on their website, use it. You can also connect with people by Twitter, Facebook, and other social media. Follow the person you want to connect with and make a point of commenting on their posts. In time they ll get to know who you are. 2014 Jason Billows Inc. JasonBillows.com 12
What are you going to say? Don t start by asking for something. You need to build trust before you can make any requests. It s important that you always ask how you can deliver value to the recipient. Look to the first 3 Strategies we covered and consider which could be used to deliver value to the person you re reaching out to. Why do we reach out to new connections? To grow our network and our business. Just keep in mind that it takes time to build new relationships. Always deliver value, and remain professional, patient, and persistent. Action Step 4: Create a list of the top 20 people you most want to build a relationship with, then look for ways to start connecting with them. Perhaps you can find their email address, comment on their Facebook posts, or reply to their Twitter posts. 2014 Jason Billows Inc. JasonBillows.com 13
#5 Request Referrals. Every day you re going to request a referral from a minimum of 1 person in your network. Many business owners assume that people will automatically refer them. That s not the case. Potential referrers need to know: 1. You re interested in receiving referrals. 2. Who would make a good referral. 3. What you can do for the referral. 4. How to go about referring someone. Be clear about who your ideal client is, what you can do for them, and how you want them referred, then ask for those referrals. Why would someone want to refer you? Because people feel good when they help others, and by referring you they ll be helping both you and the person they refer. It s a win, win, win situation for all three of you. It s very important to remember that people will only refer you if they like and trust you. How can you build that like-ability and trust? By implementing the first 3 Strategies we covered - sharing what you know, who you know, and how you feel. 2014 Jason Billows Inc. JasonBillows.com 14
How should you go about requesting referrals? A simple email like this will do the trick: Why do we request referrals? To get more clients, of course. Action Step 5: One of the best ways to get referrals, is to give referrals. Create a list of 5 businesses who serve your target market, and who you want to refer business to. Start sending them referrals and in time, they ll probably do the same for you. 2014 Jason Billows Inc. JasonBillows.com 15
Putting It All Together. As I said at the beginning of this guide, these 5 Strategies can be deceivingly simple. However, they do work if you work them. I m proof, and countless numbers of my clients have benefited from these strategies for years. Remember, people will only purchase your products and services if they know you, trust you, believe you are credible, and have a need that you can fulfill. Implement these 5 Strategies and you ll book the work. If you follow these 5 Strategies, 5 business days a week, at the end of a month you will have: 1. Shared what you know with 60 people in your network. 2. Introduced 40 people in your network to each other. 3. Shared how you feel with 20 people in your network. 4. Connected 20 times with people you want to know. 5. Requested a referral 20 times. That s 160 interactions with your network every month Action Step 6: Set a reminder in your calendar for every business day to execute these 5 Strategies. 2014 Jason Billows Inc. JasonBillows.com 16
Praise For Email Lists. Let s be clear. Email lists are a very, very powerful tool for building your business. At the time of writing this guide, I am working hard to aggressively build my email list. Why? Because an email list is one of the best ways to keep in touch and build trust with people who want to know more about you, what you do, and who you serve. The intention of this guide was not to suggest email lists aren t valuable. The intention was to show that a thriving business can be built without an email list. However, that s not to say you won t benefit from an email list. The problem I see so many small business owners facing is cash flow. They simply don t have enough money coming into their business early on to succeed. Spending all of your time building an email list won t create that short term cash flow that you require. Instead, focus on the 5 Strategies outlined in this book first and foremost. Once you are using those strategies, then you can begin building your email list simultaneously. 2014 Jason Billows Inc. JasonBillows.com 17
Book Yourself Solid. The 5 Strategies in this guide were inspired by Michael Port, NY Times Best Selling Author of Book Yourself Solid. Book Yourself Solid was key in building my business. I was so impressed with the results,that I became certified in the Book Yourself Solid System. I m now proud to be one of only a few Elite Level Book Yourself Solid Certified Coaches, trained personally by Michael Port. Book Yourself Solid is the cornerstone of the work I do to help small business owners and service professionals get more clients in less time, and with less stress. If you would like more information about Book Yourself Solid or the services I provide, please visit www.jasonbillows.com. Please Share. If you know a small business owner or service professional that can benefit from this guide, please share it with them. Thank you. 2014 Jason Billows Inc. JasonBillows.com 18