Discover the hidden gold in your email list!

Today I’m sharing some wisdom on email marketing from one of my personal mentors, PJ Van Hulle! Enjoy, and be sure to check out List-a-Palooza which starts today!

You’ve probably heard that, “the fortune is in the follow up,” but if you’re like most of the 1,000’s of entrepreneurs I’ve worked with over the last 14 years, your follow up systems leave something to be desired.

Here’s why “the fortune is in the follow up,” and what that looks like…

According to my friend and online marketing expert, Vrinda Normand, in most niche markets, or the specific group of people you serve:

3% are actively shopping for what you offer

7% are aware and open to your services, but not looking

30% are not aware of their problem or your solution

30% may know you exist, but it’s not the right time

30% are simply not a fit

This means that if you’re not following up, you’re leaving behind the 67% of people that might be ready to sign up for your products or services down the road!

When you follow up consistently, you will stay in front of these people. Maybe they’re not ready now, but when they are ready, you’ll be at the top of their mind and therefore you’ll be the one they hire over someone that didn’t follow up.

Imagine how much more money you could put in your pocket just by staying in touch with those 67% of people who may need you in the future.

The easiest and most effective way to follow up and nurture those relationships is to build an e-mail list of clients and potential clients who have “opted in” and given you permission to send them e-mails.

A good rule of thumb for monetizing your list is to shoot for $1 per subscriber, per month. So if your goal is to generate $10,000 per month in income, focus on growing your e-mail list to 10,000 subscribers.

With a profitable e-mail list you can:

● Attract more clients and sales

● Turn current clients into repeat clients

● Fill your seminars and programs

● Promote other peoples’ programs that you believe in and earn $1,000′s in affiliate commissions

Building your list is like taking advantage of compound interest. The sooner you start, the better. And the longer you nurture your list, the more profitable it will be.

To quantum leap your e-mail list to the next level, I recommend participating for FREE in the List-a-Palooza 90 Day List-Building Challenge.

Register Now for FREE

PJ Van Hulle works with speakers, authors and coaches to grow their e-mail lists so that they can attract more clients and sales with less time, effort, and stress. She’s the creator of the List-a-Palooza 90 Day List-Building Challenge.

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.

How to handle your infinite to do list (To Do List Tip #1)

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

As a one-person business, your to do list is literally infinite. There is an unlimited number of things you could be doing to build your business. This video teaches you how to know what to work on. Link mentioned in video: https://www.michelechristensen.com/daily

Summary here:

As a solopreneur, your to do list is infinite – there is literally always more you could be doing to build and promote your business.
It’s no surprise that so many solopreneurs feel overwhelmed!
Having a solid strategy for your business will help you know what to work on.
With a strategy, you know exactly how to find new prospects and convert them to clients.
You can confidently say yes or no to any opportunity depending on whether it fits into your strategy or not.
Takeaway: Don’t even try to do everything you hear about. Have a strategy so you know exactly what to work on.
If you liked this tip, go to www.michelechristensen.com/daily and get a copy of my free report “The 5 Biggest Mistakes Solopreneurs Make in Writing Their Daily To-Do List and How to Avoid Them.”
Please use the social sharing buttons below this video to share the video with your friends and colleagues who would find it valuable.

Learning new stuff is way more fun than working!

Ask Me Anything, Segment 9

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

In this video, I talk about the trap of avoiding work you find unpleasant by spending too much time learning. This is Segment 9 in the Ask Me Anything series. You can find the entire series on my blog or YouTube Channel under Ask Me Anything. www.michelechristensen.com

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

It’s easy to get sidetracked when you are learning too many different things from too many different people.
Learning can be used to procrastinate the work you really need to be doing to create income.
It’s important to always be investing in yourself by learning new things about your business, but balance this with the need to implement what you learn.
I help people to have a streamlined, efficient business and to know exactly what to be working on and what not to be working on. Click on the “Send Me More” button below the video player so I can send you more great tips and strategies for running your solopreneur business.

Measure your results to improve them

From my book “Use Metrics to Know What Works“…

One of the hallmarks of successful entrepreneurs is that they take action. They don’t wait for the time to be perfect or for some mythical moment when everything lines up, they get busy and get going. This is a hugely important trait for success, but it can also be a curse. The problem is that many entrepreneurs are so action oriented that they go off in random directions with no plan. It’s not enough just to take action – you have to be taking action on the right things.

This is where a lot of entrepreneurs get into trouble. Yes, you do need to be taking consistent action, but if you don’t take some time first to determine what you should be doing there’s a good chance of not getting the results you want. The problem is that it is really hard for an action-oriented entrepreneur whose idea keeps him up at night to take a step back and do some research and planning. Later, the problem becomes taking the time to measure and analyze results when you would rather be doing more.

So many business operate like this:

Start doing something in hopes of growing your business
Sales don’t come as desired
Add another activity
Repeat

Can you see the problems with this approach? First, you can only repeat this cycle for so long. There is an absolute upper limit to the amount of activity that you can add to your business. At some point, you will run out of hours in the week. Second, if you keep adding new things without taking away anything you’ll end up with a bigger and bigger list of activities to keep up with. Your attention becomes split and you end up expending a lot of energy switching between and managing all your projects. Third and most serious is that you have absolutely no way to improve. There’s no feedback or indication of what’s working or not and how to improve. This is the biggest problem of all because testing, measuring and adapting is the only sure way you have of making sure you are on a path of continual improvement. Continuing to blindly add activities with no clear plan is like trying to get across town on your bicycle by pedaling faster and making random turns. If you don’t stop and consult a map before and during your trip, you won’t know if you are even heading in the right direction. All of that activity may actually be taking you further from your destination.

It’s almost impossible to get things just right on the first try. That’s where being action-oriented is an asset – as an action taker you just get out there and do something. However, the shortest path to success after you take action is to learn from that experience and adapt your next attempt.

When you take action with no planning, there is no way to measure and no way to close the loop. Everything you do will be just random shooting in the dark with no way to adapt and learn. Often the only feedback you get is “that didn’t work.”

For all of these reasons, metrics (i.e. measuring your results) is often one of the first areas I work on with my clients because we really can’t begin coaching and moving forward effectively until they have a feedback loop in place. As much as I wish I could, I simply can’t pull the right answers out of nothing. I need data to work with in the first place and a way to measure results once our ideas are implemented.

If you aren’t doing any metrics, or you want to see how metrics can help you, head over to the Kindle store and grab my book “Use Metrics to Know What Works.” This article is taken from Chapter 1, and the rest of the book teaches you not only the principles of metrics but how to do metrics for specific purposed in your business. Grab your copy here:

Use Metrics to Know What Works

(No Kindle device? No problem! You can download a free Kindle app for your phone or tablet, or install the free Kindle reader for your desktop.)

Learning without implementation accomplishes nothing

Ask Me Anything, Segment 8

(Prefer to read in stead of watch? Scroll down below the video player for the notes.)

Earlier this year, I gave my email subscribers the chance to ask me anything they wanted to about their business. In this video, I talk about the trap of learning too much and not implementing enough. Learning new skills to build your business is a great thing to do, but you have to implement what you learn for it to help your business grow. Learning without implementation does not help your business. This is Segment #8 in the Ask Me Anything series. You can find the entire series on my blog or YouTube Channel under Ask Me Anything. www.michelechristensen.com

(Note the event link I mentioned around the [2:00] minute mark does not show up on some views of this blog post. Here is the link: www.michelechristensen.com/blbp)

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

Learning is fun, and implementing can be long, hard work so there is a big temptation to just keep learning and not take the time to implement.
The fun of doing new things begins when you finish them and they begin to work. If you want to be successful, you have to buckle down and implement what you are learning and not just jump to the next thing.
I attended a live weekend event last year and it took me 5 months to get everything from that event implemented. Make sure your time and money investment pays off when you attend a live event by implementing what you learn. For more information on the Big List, Big Profits event, click here.
The one thing to take from this video: implement what you learn or you are just wasting time.
If you like this tip, please go to www.michelechristensen.com and enter your name and email address so you can receive ongoing tips and strategies just for solopreneurs!

Use Metrics to Know What Works

Today is an exciting day! My newest Kindle book is now available!

(Can’t wait? Here’s the link!)

This book will teach you how to stop guessing, flying by the seat of your pants and running yourself ragged just to make a living.

In this book, I teach the basics of metrics, or using measurement to know what is and isn’t working. As a one-person operation, you simply cannot afford to be wasting time on things that don’t bring your results. Without a way to know for sure how well your efforts are paying off, how do you know where to spend your time?

This book is written specifically with you, the solopreneur, in mind. After laying out some general concepts on metrics, I show you where to start and exactly what to measure. The book even includes a downloadable starter kit with a tutorial video so you can get started right away.

Click the link below and grab your copy today:

Use Metrics to Know What Works

No Kindle device? No problem! You can get the free Kindle app for your smartphone or tablet or use the free Kindle desktop reader.

Get your book copy here

If you aren’t sure if this is for you, I invite you to imagine how great it would be if you knew you were working on the best thing you could be doing right now. That’s the confidence and clarity that measuring your result can bring. Get started today by downloading your book here.

The first two things to learn when you are just starting your solopreneur business

Ask Me Anything, Segment 6

Earlier this year, I gave my email subscribers the chance to ask me anything they wanted to about their business. In this video, I share the two things that I think are important for new solopreneur business owners to focus on learning when they are just starting out. This is Segment 6, and the link I mention in the video is here: http://www.getyourlistgrowing.com

Brand new: Strategic Solopreneurs Facebook group!

Want to connect with other business owners rocking the solopreneur business world? Come join this brand new Facebook group that is just for people who love their one-person business.

Who is this for? Anybody who dreams of a successful, sustainable and profitable one-person business. It can be done and it is a joyful way to work. However, just because you’re a solopreneur doesn’t mean you can or should go it completely alone. Share your successes and challenges, get ideas and input and contribute what you do best.

Ready to join? Click the link below and request to join. Your request will be approved within 1 business days in most cases.

Strategic Solopreneurs Facebook Group

Want more information before you join? The group guidelines are in the “About” section at the link above, and a copy is pasted below for your convenience. See you there!

Welcome smart business owner! I’m so excited that you have embraced the simple and profitable solopreneur business model. In this group you’ll find a wide variety of businesses, but we share a common love of running a one-person business.

Here you can find connection and interaction that working alone can be lacking. We’re about helping each other and learning, not spam or promotion.

Questions are welcome! You can ask about best practices, which tools to use, what’s working now, or get opinions on your ideas. Please refrain from posting questions that are easily answered with a Google search. Part of being a successful solopreneur means that you are willing to do research when you need to learn something new.

You may post to the wall at any time, but there is a specific theme for each weekday. If you want to participate in that day’s theme, post your response in the comments of the post showing that day’s theme. Promotion is only allowed on Thursday when that is the theme of the day, and you may only post a promotion in the thread for the theme of the day. Promotion includes both paid and free offers.

Here’s a peek at the weekly lineup:

Metrics Monday – We’ll take a look at one thing you can be measuring to help you businesses
Social Tuesday – Connect and share on other social networks
Strategy Wednesday – Make sure you know why you are doing every single thing you do
Promo Thursday – Post your free and paid offers in the thread for today’s theme
Fun Friday – This will be all about fun and getting to know each other
Wellness Weekends – Thoughts on leisure, recreation, quiet time and time off.

To help you become more productive and feel less overwhelmed right away, I have a free report for you that gives you simple changes you can make to your daily to-do list that you can start doing today! Grab the report here: https://www.michelechristensen.com/daily

Criteria for choosing which experts to follow

Ask Me Anything, Segment 4

Earlier this year, I gave my email subscribers the chance to ask me anything about their business. In this video, I give you my criteria for choosing which experts to follow. I’ll be answering more questions over the coming weeks and months, so be sure to fill in your name and email address in the box below the video so you can get your questions answered in the next Ask Me Anything.