5 Questions to Clarify Your Business’ Value Proposition--Darnyelle A. Jervey

Part of the reason why so many service-based entrepreneurs are struggling is because they haven’t taken the time to write down who they want to work with. Having worked with thousands of entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs, I know you find it hard to believe, but trust me; most people do not start a business with any form of a plan.

They don’t plan out what they are going to offer nor do they plan out who they are going to offer it to. The result….a hot mess. You attract:

• Clients who drain your energy and pay you low wages
• Clients who make excuses instead of taking action
• Clients who have no real desire to change their situation but just want to complain and blame it on the “man,” or better yet the economy
• Clients who want a “hook up”
• Products and services that don’t appeal to anyone

Please, stop! Don’t take another client on until you can clearly and succinctly answer the five questions below.

This week’s assignment is very important to the future success of your business. Even if you have a business plan. If your business model has deviated in any way in response to what has happened in the industry you are in or the economy, ask yourself these five questions. These questions will help you begin the process to gaining some semblance of clarity in your business. When you take the time to answer 5 simple, yet effective and often overlooked questions, you will gain tremendous impact to your company’s bottom line:

1. Why is your business necessary? Brainstorm on this one. Right down every answer that pops into your head. Ask clients who have provided a success story why they had to work with you. Again, record every answer. These reasons will be key to your marketing language going forward.

2. What is the transformation your business provides to your ideal clients? Here, think before and after. Before they come to work with you, who are they? After they work with you, who have they become? Why is this important and why will others be inspired to work with you too?

3. What is the problem you solve and what is the system that you utilize to solve the problem? These results should be clear about the steps you take each client through, which leads to the result you would like them to receive in working with you. Being able to articulate this is HUGE for your business growth potential.

4. Who are your products and services for? Please be as specific as possible. Remember, clarity leads to cash. Don’t think you can help everyone. Narrow your focus and in doing so, find the people who can’t live without your solution.

5. What happens if they don’t buy your products and services? What will they continue to experience if they don’t work with you? What is the pain they will continue to feel until they choose you as their pain killer?

These five questions will lead you to a significant breakthrough about how you must begin to conduct business. When you consider these five questions before you contact a prospect, writing a marketing piece, present your company at a networking event or any other business related task, you will begin to get clear results that help you to grow your company.

Take time this week and respond to each of these questions in detail. Upon completion, you will have some key marketing language that can be converted into market pieces, website copy and other items to show you as a magnet to your ideal clients.

Be Incredible,

To get step by step assistance in how to attract your ideal clients, register for my Ideal Client Bootcamp. For details visit http://www.incredibleoneenterprises.com/ifbc

©2011 by Darny

elle A. Jervey. All Rights Reserved. Darnyelle A. Jervey, The Incredible Factor Business Mentor and Coach, is the founder of IncredibleOneEnterprises.com and the Leverage Your Incredible

Factor System® a proven step by step program for turning your passion into profit. For more information and a FREE audio CD "How to Use Your Incredible Factor to Attract MORE Ideal Clients" visit http://www.incredibleoneenterprises.com.

7 key questions to craft your ideal client profile– Darnyelle A. Jervey

When it comes to starting your business marketing efforts, it’s very important to realize two very important truths. Number one, marketing is the oxygen of your business. Truthfully, you are not in the business you think you are in; you are actually in the business of marketing – marketing your products and services, that is. And secondly, if you do not get clear on who you are marketing your products and services to, you will not benefit immensely in your business life.

I’ve watched it happen time and time again – a new small business owner gets started in business and is very excited. That excitement includes lots of confusion because they are distorted enough to believe that they are here to help/serve EVERYONE. You CANNOT help everyone, no matter how good you are. This is a very popular misconception amongst new entrepreneurs…they believe that if they target their marketing efforts by selecting a niche they will somehow be leaving tons of money on the table. The fact is, you increase your chances of earning in direct proportion to your gift by selecting a niche market. When you become clear about whom your product and service is PERFECT for, you begin to invite them into your experience and as a result of saying exactly what your target markets needs to hear to take action, you increase your chances at success in selling your products and services.

In my own business and being wet behind the ears, I tried the whole “I work with everyone” approach. A few not so perfect clients later, I realized that not only was my value and service NOT for everyone, but I reserved the right to choose who I want to serve in my business. I immediately hired a coach, that’s right, I hired a coach for one reason – it’s hard to see the picture when you are the frame. That was five years ago and now my business is thriving because I got out of my own way and invited someone in my field with more experience than I to help me develop the mindsets and marketing strategies to earn significant income.

As a business coach, I help my clients craft their ideal client profile by asking a series of thought-provoking questions. During this process, I force them to look at the areas that they probably would not have otherwise thought about when it comes to clarifying who they want to work with. Because my clients can’t see the big picture and often their mindsets hinder their ability to achieve business growth and success, when we complete this activity every time, they get BIG results….The result…every time is a concise encapsulation of their one ideal client. In doing so, they gain clarity on how to communicate to their ideal client and their ideal clients appear, ready to take action on their products and services. They begin to attract and turn potential clients into paying clients over and over again.

Because I want to see your small business thrive and I know that it will when you establish your ideal client profile, I will share a few of the most important questions you must ask yourself if you truly want to grow your small business with the right clients from the start.

• Is your ideal client a man or woman?
• Does your ideal client fit into any special groups, categories or professions?
• How much money does your ideal client make?
• How many times each year does your ideal client buy products and services like those you provide?
• How much money does your ideal client spend on products and services like those you provide each year?
• What is the pain point or struggle that your ideal clients have?
• How do you take away their pain? Show results not steps.

There are many more important questions to ask to craft your ideal client profile. These are just some of the very important ones. I offer my clients an entire worksheet and framework for identifying and crafting their ideal client profile. If, as you read the questions suggested that you answer and felt uncomfortable or anxious, perhaps a mindset shift is necessary. Working with a coach will help you to get out of your own way and open the flood gates to the success you started your business to enjoy.

Be Incredible,
Darnyelle

To get step by step assistance in how to attract your ideal clients, register for my Ideal Client Bootcamp. For details visit http://www.incredibleoneenterprises.com/ifbc

©2011 by Darnyelle A. Jervey. All Rights Reserved. Darnyelle A. Jervey, The Incredible Factor Business Mentor and Coach, is the founder of IncredibleOneEnterprises.com and the Leverage Your Incredible Factor System® a proven step by step program for turning your passion into profit. For more information and a FREE audio CD "How to Use Your Incredible Factor to Attract MORE Ideal Clients" visit http://www.incredibleoneenterprises.com.

5 Quick Steps to Tracking Results in Your Business - Darnyelle A. Jervey

What gets attended to gets done. I’ve been saying that since my time in corporate America, working on projects, analyzing data and ensuring that I achieved the goals I set to advance my career. When I decided to become a full-time entrepreneur, I adopted many things I learned while walking the halls of someone else’s company. One of the most important mantras I’ve adopted is: you must give your business the same respect you gave your job; period. I mean, seriously, just like you set goals and tracked them in JOB (just over broke) you must apply the same knowledge and procedures to growing a solid, consistently thriving business.

What I found when I started to track my results in my own business is that I not only achieved them but exceeded them because there was always a bar to raise to grow my success. Starting with my time in Mary Kay Cosmetics before venturing out to start my own “ground up” company. I would start each day, week and month with a projection of the results I desired. I tracked those results the next day, week and month of what I actually accomplished that led ultimately to achieving the goal.

As you start this week and prepare for a new month in your business, follow these 5 quick steps to guide you so your work is not in vain and you are actually attracting positive growth and results consistently in your business.

1. Set aside at least one hour at the end of the month (some time during the last week of the month,) to first review your results during the current month. What did you accomplish? How many new clients, widgets, etc did you add to your sales achievements? What did you do consistently that worked well? What could you change and ultimately alter your results?

2. In reviewing your current month’s results, project what you will achieve in the next month if you make the noted changes and focus on one particular area in which to grow your business.

3. Write it down. Don’t leave your results or goals in your head – write them down. When put in writing your chance of achieving them improves by over 50%. I recommend using a dry erase board so that they are big, easily identifiable and easily updated. Also use the “tick” mark system so that you can just add a quick tick every time you add another of whatever you desire to track. Here’s what I track: Get Acquainted Sessions Booked and Held (separate list for tick marks), New Clients, New Inner Circle Members, New VIP Days, New Live Event tickets Sold, New Passion to Profit Sales, New speaking engagements, new hot prospects.

4. Post them where you and EVERYONE who enters or exits your office can see them. When you create a visual, you help to ensure that you will pay attention to what is necessary to add more value (and influence the bottom line) of your business.

5. Review them and update as new results come in. I take the time each day as the new client, new appointment, new product sale, etc. happens in my business to update my tracking board. It lets me know that my work is ultimately achieving my goals and purpose and I get excited to go out and add another “tick” to the board.

Bonus – Celebrate – every new client, product sold, appointment or sales conversation booked deserves and must be celebrated. It is the little things that add up to the unassailable difference; so project what you desire to bring into your business, commit to doing the work, track your results daily and celebrate along the way to more growth in your business.

©2011 by Darnyelle A. Jervey. All Rights Reserved. Darnyelle A. Jervey, The Incredible Factor Business Mentor and Coach, is the founder of Incredible One Enterprises.com and the Leverage Your Incredible Factor System® a proven step by step program for turning your passion into profit. For more information and a FREE audio download "How to Use Your Incredible Factor to Attract MORE Ideal Clients" visit http://www.incredibleoneenterprises.com.