George Kao's Blog, page 11
November 19, 2021
Instead of selling, work on understanding and helping.
Have you ever heard that “sales is a numbers game”? According to that idea, you just have to “pitch” your services to a lot of people, and some of them will become your clients.
Many sales trainers teach this: “Every no means you are closer to a YES!”
If you’ve actually tried this, you know that it’s brutal...
To most of us heart-based people, trying to “sell” a lot feels intimidating. We feel that it’s an inauthentic way of connecting with others.
What if there was an alternative way to think...
November 5, 2021
Quick and Easy Money?
It’s sad when I see people seeking quick and easy money.
Often, they seek it because they are actually exhausted with work, and life. “If I could only solve this problem of money, then I can really have the freedom to live life on my terms.”
That mindset provides little defense against unscrupulous people who are selling some system that will supposedly earn quick and easy money.
Unless you’re already a business genius with enough of a warm audience, the truth is that quick and easy money is poss...
November 1, 2021
How to get more clients ASAP? Business networking with people who already trust you.
Image by @matthewhenry on unsplash Your own network, even your friends, often forget what it is you do. Or if they remember, it's too rarely… and not when they happen to be talking to someone who could be an ideal client of yours. They’re not thinking of you, which is when you want them to be thinking of you!
If you aren't keeping in touch with your network, how will they remember to refer new clients to you?
Of the many service providers I have personally coached, I can count on one...
October 29, 2021
Good people -- please don’t quit facebook & social media…
“If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit.” -- Banksy
There are good people in my circles -- those I would love to stay in connection with -- who are tempted (or have decided) to deactivate their Facebook accounts… or even leave social media altogether.
This makes it harder to stay in touch, and far less likely for them to be top of mind for me. I’m also concerned for the viability of their business, if they lose the long-term marketing benefits of using social media effectively.This is reall...
October 22, 2021
Get new clients by using the "barn-raising" strategy
“A barn raising is a collective community action in which a barn for one of the members is built collectively by the community.” -- wikipedia entry for barn raising
...in other words, public goal-setting and recruiting your network to help you reach a specific goal.
Of course, this is frequently done with fundraising, but why not also use it to get your next batch of clients?I’m not sure, but I may have heard this idea from Tad Hargrave and/or Mark Silver, both of whom I highly respect and reco...
October 15, 2021
What is Authenticity in Business?
What do I mean by “authenticity” in the context of business and marketing, especially for us self-employed professionals?
Authenticity is to practice having no agenda, other than these purposes:Genuine expression of your best selfEnjoyment of the processHeart-based serviceFriendship… and thus playful collaboration!
Let’s explore each idea… Genuine expression of your best self:
Imagine that I were to give you an opportunity tomorrow (at a specific time) to play with some form of art that you enjo...
October 8, 2021
Conversion Rates? Authentic solopreneurs don’t have to worry about it.
There’s so much talk in marketing about increasing "conversion rates” -- which may mean how many webpage visitors buy your product, or how many opt into your email list.
The marketer is making the visitor take action, often through persuasion psychology. Increasing your persuasion and hypnotic marketing is supposed to increase your conversion rates.
Yet, none of us heart-based entrepreneurs like to focus on these manipulative actions. Thankfully, we don’t need to worry about it, to get enough cli...
September 28, 2021
The 5 key pieces to think about before launching your online course
As I prepare to update my Authentic Course Launches training, I’d like to clear up a major myth, as well as share the 5 pieces to think about if you’re interested in launching your own courses. The major misconception is that creating courses is primarily about choosing the right platform -- Thinkific? Kajabi? MemberVault? LearnDash? MightyNetworks? Something else?
To see the results of my research: which online course platform is best for the solopreneur?
By choosing the right platform, you’ve...
September 24, 2021
The importance of keeping appointments with yourself
To accomplish worthwhile tasks with enough time (rather than doing things last minute), it’s a good strategy to schedule multiple appointments with yourself to work on that project and make gradual progress.
This is how we build self-trust over time.
However, what if the appointment passes, and you didn't work on that project as planned?You might:
1. Ignoring the fact that you didn’t work on it.
2. Self-blame for having not worked on it.
Neither are healthy responses. Let's talk about each. Then I'l...
September 11, 2021
The Ultimate Guide to George Kao's Courses
A Guide to George Kao's Courses for Soulpreneurs
As you develop the skills to create an authentic business, you’ll grow a livelihood that is deeply fulfilling and financially stable. Since 2009, I’ve been on a mission to share that knowledge. I love facilitating learning experiences (via my courses) that help “soulpreneurs” to be joyfully productive in their authentic business journey. You’ll find that on my website there are now more than 20 courses available for immediate enrollment and...
