ask me anything – Michele Christensen

Scheduling Social Media Posts

Ask Me Anything, Segment 19

(Prefer to read instead of watch? Scroll down to below the video player for a written summary.)
In this segment of Ask Me Anything, I answer a question about scheduling social media posts. I share the main tool I use to schedule my posts and give my biggest tip on using scheduled posts.

Summary here:

I use Hootsuite to schedule social media posts ahead of time
Scheduling some posts ahead of time is a good way to have a continuous presence on your social media sites, however it is critical to regularly interact with people in real time.
Be sure to be social when you interact with people. Ask questions, join conversations and contribute useful ideas.
Takeaway: You can use Hootsuite or any of a number of apps to schedule some of your social media posts ahead of time. However, make sure to actually put some time in where you are interacting and engaging people in real time.
If you like this tip, please hit the subscribe button to get notified whenever I publish new videos on YouTube.
Before you leave this page, please use the social sharing buttons to share this tip across your social networks! (This counts as real-time interacting!)

Thoughts on delegation

Ask Me Anything, Segment 18

(Prefer to read instead of watch? Scroll down to below the video player for a written summary.)

In this segment of Ask Me Anything, I give some brief thoughts about delegation.

Written summary here:

In this segment, I give some thoughts on delegation
I do not delegate much in my business.
You don’t have to delegate to have a business – it’s not inevitable.
I don’t like managing people as much as I like doing things and working with clients. If you don’t love to manage people, you may not want to delegate as much.
I love to learn and tinker, and that’s one of my favorite parts of being a solopreneur. If you love to learn and get a rush from learning some new skill, you may be happy doing more of your business work on your own.
If you find this tip helpful, please use the social sharing buttons on this page to share it across you social networks.

To make sales, you have to make offers!

Ask Me Anything, Segment 17

(Prefer to read instead of watch? Scroll down to below the video player for a written summary.)

In this segment of Ask Me Anything, I fill in the final piece of finding coaching clients. You have to make offers! If you don’t actually give your audience a chance to say yes and make a purchase, it’s much harder for them to say yes to working with you. This is Segment 17 of the Ask Me Anything Series.

Summary here:

In this video, I cover the importance of making offers for your coaching services and for other products or services.
It’s not enough to just have a website and hope people will visit and purchase.
After building an audience and regularly communicating to them with valuable content, you have to actually make an offer for which they can pay you.
Some offers are for a free item such as a webinar or teleseminar, however at some point you must make a paid offer in order to make money.
Takeaway: After taking the time to grow an audience and nurture your relationship with them, you have to make clear and specific offers for your coaching services.
If you like this video, please use the social sharing buttons to share it across your communities!
You can subscribe to my YouTube Channel using the subscribe button above and get notified whenever I post new videos.

How to communicate with your audience

Ask Me Anything, Segment 16

(Prefer to read instead of watch? Scroll down to below the video player for a written summary.)

Once you start building an audience for your coaching, consulting or service business, you’ll need to communicate with them on a regular basis to build credibility and demonstrate your ability to help. This tip talks about how to communicate with your audience. This is Ask Me Anything Segment 16. Link mentioned in video: www.michelechristensen.com.

Summary here:

This is Segment 16 of the Ask Me Anything series, and it’s a continuation of segments 12-15, in which I answer the question of how to find coaching clients. You will get the most out of this video by watching segments 12-15 first. You can find all segments of Ask Me Anything here.
In previous segments, I taught how to build an audience for your business and how to attract just the right people to that audience. In this video I talk about how to communicate with that audience.
The short answer is that the best way to communicate with you audience is however they like to receive information! However, email is the go-to tool for my own business and for most of my clients.
Specifically, I am referring to building a list of people who have signed up and actively said they want to receive emails from you.
Never add someone to your email list without their clear consent. It’s annoying, it’s against the law in many countries, and it makes you look like you don’t know what you are doing.
Once you start a list, you can start establishing your credibility by delivering valuable content to them.
You will also need to make offers at regular intervals so people can actually buy from you.
With an email list, you’ll never have to try and sell your coaching services to a “cold” audience. You can keep in touch and demonstrate your worth before you ever offer something for sale.
Having a list lets you control the timing of when people hear from you, and lets you take full responsibility for making sure you stay in touch. You don’t need people to remember you and your website in order for them to see what you are offering.
Takeaway: Keep in touch with your audience regularly in a way that is appealing to them. Email is a great tool for making sure you communicate with your audience regularly.
If you liked this tip, go to www.michelechristensen.com and enter your name and email address, and I’ll send tips and strategies like this for solopreneurs right to your inbox!
Before you leave this page, please use the social sharing buttons on this page to share this video with your connections on social sites.

Use the right language to attract your ideal clients

Ask Me Anything, Segment 15

(Prefer to read instead of watch? Scroll down to below the video player for a summary.)

One of the best ways to attract the right people to your audience is by using the right language for them. This may not be the same language you use when talking about your work to people in your field or people who aren’t interested in the results your work brings.

Summary here:

This segment of Ask Me Anything is on how to attract just the right people to your audience
Use the language your clients use when describing your work
Don’t use clinical, technical or industry terms
Don’t focus on showcasing your incredible vocabulary! Instead, focus on communicating in a way that makes your ideal client feel like you completely understand them and can help them.
Takeaway: By using the language that your ideal clients already use, you’ll attract those people to your audience
If you liked this tip, go to www.michelechristensen.com and enter your name and email address, and I’ll send tips and strategies like this for solopreneurs right to your inbox!
Before you leave this page, please use the social sharing buttons on this page to share this video with your connections on social sites.

What kind of clients do you love to work with?

Ask Me Anything, Segment 14

(Prefer to read instead of watch? Scroll down to read a summary of this video.)

When building an audience for your coaching business, it’s important to focus only on attracting those people who you love to work with and who get great results from your work. In this video, I teach how to spot those people. This is Segment 14 of the Ask Me Anything Series.

Summary here:

This video goes further in answering the question “How do I get coaching clients?” It’s a continuation of Ask Me Anything Segments 12 and 13. If you haven’t read or watched those, I suggest you do before reading or watching this segment because you will get more out of it. Click here for Segment 12.
In the last segment of Ask Me Anything, I talked about building an audience of people interested in the work you do. In this segment, I help you get very focused on a specific subset of those interested people, your ideal client.
There are lots of terms you could use to describe the people you really want to work with – people use target market, niche, demographic, etc. but your ideal client is a specific subset of these terms.
I could teach an entire series on describing your ideal client, and some people do, but in this video I’ll present a short list of characteristics to think about in describing your ideal client.
Your ideal clients are the people you love to work with. For me, that is super-creative “right brain” people. I’m very concrete and linear, so working with right-brain people creates magic!
They get great results when they work with you.
They have a specific challenge that you totally geek out on! They struggle with the one thing you love to talk about.
They value you and your expertise.
They are able and willing to pay for your service.
They follow your advice and love the results they get.
The final and very important characteristic of your ideal client is that you like them! Don’t fill your practice with people you don’t like. Neither of you will get good results.
Now that you know what kind of people you are looking for, in the next segment I’ll teach you how to attract those specific people.
Takeaway: Get really specific about the kind of people you want to attract to your coaching business.
If you liked this tip, please go to www.michelechristensen.com and enter your name and email address, and I’ll send tips and strategies like this for solopreneurs right to your inbox!
Before you leave this page, please use the social sharing buttons on this page to share this video with your connections on social sites.

Build an audience of interested people (Ask Me Anything Segment 13)

Ask Me Anything, Segment 13

(Prefer to read instead of watch? Scroll down to read a summary of this video.)

Instead of trying to sell to people right away, focus on building an audience of people who are interested in the services you provide. That way, you can build credibility and connection before you try to sell anything. Link mentioned in the video: michelechristensen.com.

Summary here:

This video goes further into answering the question “How do I find coaching clients?” You’ll get the most of out this video if you’ve already watched Segment 12 of the Ask Me Anything series because this video expands on that one.
In the last video, I made two points to start with finding coaching clients: don’t try and sell “coaching,” instead focus on the change your work provides, and second, know who is will benefit most from your work and tailor your message to them.
Building on those first two points, before you try to sell anything, start by cultivating an audience of people who would be interested in the services you provide. The people you want to be building a relationship with are people who may at some point make a purchase if the right offer comes at the right time.
You can build your audience on social media, speaking, by building an email list or a number of other ways.
By building an audience before you begin selling, you will have time to build rapport, show that you can help and demonstrate your expertise.
Takeaway: To find coaching clients, first build an audience of people who are interested in the change your work provides. In the next few Ask Me Anything videos, I’ll show you how to do this.
If you liked this tip, please go to www.michelechristensen.com and enter your name and email address, and I’ll send tips and strategies like this for solopreneurs right to your inbox!
Before you leave this page, please use the social sharing buttons on this page to share this video with your connections on social sites.

How To Find Coaching Clients

Ask Me Anything, Segment 12

(Prefer to read instead of watch? Scroll down to below the video for a written summary.)

In this segment of Ask Me Anything, I give the first of several tips on attracting coaching clients. This video explains how to view your coaching services from the point of view of your potential clients. Link mentioned in video: www.michelechristensen.com

Summary here:

In this video, I give the first of several tips on how to find coaching clients. The very first thing to understand is how to view your coaching services from the perspective of a potential client.
Nobody lays awake at night thinking “If only I had a coach….” What keeps people awake at night are the problems and concerns you help them with. People probably lay awake thinking things like “If only I could lose this 20 pounds,” or “If only I didn’t fight so much with my spouse,” etc.
So, in order to find coaching clients it’s important to think less about the fact that you provide coaching, and focus more on the fact that you solve problems that people suffer from.
It’s also very important to focus on who you help. Even if you do work with everybody, if you try to write or speak in a way that appeals to everybody then nobody will feel like you get them and their exact situation. Ideally, someone who would benefit from working with you will hear or read your words and say “Oh my gosh, how does he or she know exactly what I am thinking?”
In the next few Ask Me Anything segments, I’ll be giving you specific examples of how you can use this information to find coaching clients.
Takeaway: The very first step to finding coaching clients is to think about your service from the point of view of your potential client.
If you liked this tip, please go to www.michelechristensen.com and enter your name and email address, and I’ll send tips and strategies like this for solopreneurs right to your inbox!
Before you leave this page, please use the social sharing buttons on this page to share this video with your connections on social sites.

What my clients have taught me about working with web developers

Ask Me Anything, Segment 11

(Prefer to read instead of watch? Scroll down to below the video for a summary.)

This video gives practical tips you can use to get better results when working with a web developer or anyone under a contract. You can find the entire Ask Me Anything Series on my blog or YouTube Channel under Ask Me Anything.

Summary here:

This video share practical steps you can take to get better results when working with a web developer.
Get everything in writing. It will reduce the chance for misunderstandings.
Know what the person you are hiring does well and what they do not do. Creating a website has many facets, and not all website creators do everything.
Think carefully about whether you want to revise both your business and your website at the same time. There may be no way around doing both at once, but both are big projects and if you can space them out without negative consequences it may make sense to do so.
Consider purchasing your own hosting. It may make sense to have the same person create, host and maintain your website if you want to be hands off. However, if you have your own hosting account you can discontinue working with a web person without changing hosts too.
Get informed before you hire out. The more you know the better customer you will be and the better chance you have of getting the results you want.
Check all references, licenses, portfolios, credentials, etc. for anyone you are thinking of hiring.
All of these tips are meant to help you work well with an honest person. The original question used the word “taken,” which implies dishonesty to me. I don’t believe I have ever had first-hand experience with a client having a problem with a web person that was due to dishonesty.
Takeaway: There are some things you can do to get the best results possible when working with someone on a website or other contract.
If you liked this tip, please go to www.michelechristensen.com and enter your name and email address, and I’ll send tips and strategies like this for solopreneurs right to your inbox!
Before you leave this page, please use the social sharing buttons on this page to share this video with your connections on social sites.

Bright, Shiny Object Syndrome

Ask Me Anything, Segment 10

(Prefer to read instead of watch? Scroll down below the video player for a summary.)

It’s really easy to get sidetracked by the next big thing or the next bright, shiny object. It’s critical to stay focused and finish projects before moving on to the next one. You can find the entire Ask Me Anything series on my blog or YouTube channel under Ask Me Anything.

If you prefer to read instead of watch, here are the notes for this video:

Bright, shiny object syndrome is a funny name for a very real problem faced by entrepreneurs. We can get distracted by the next new idea before we take time to finish what we are working on.
New ideas are especially tempting to entrepreneurs because we love new ideas and like to take action and try new things.
One of the things that separates the superstars from the middle of the pack is the ability to persevere and finish projects even when they get boring.
Learning can be a huge bright, shiny object. Make sure to take the time to implement what you learn before moving on to learning something else.
One of the things I can help you with is finishing what you start. I can help you to know exactly what to be working on. I would love to be one of the people you learn from. Click on the green “Send Me More” button below the video, enter your name and email address, and I’ll send you tips and strategies just for solopreneurs.