Gill Moakes 0:00
Welcome, welcome.
Gill Moakes 0:02
Do the heads together the pod cost, particularly jazzy this week, hope you enjoyed that one. I'm feeling very upbeat mood. And I hit the reason for that, which is very timely, because of the topic that I want to talk about this week is that I had a fantastic coaching session with a client this morning, one of those sessions that was just peppered with aha moments, that moment when you can see a dawning of realisation on your clients face as something just drops into place for them. And you can really witness the relief and the swelling, confidence that comes from having one of those really clear insights. So that's why I'm feeling upbeat today. And it's perfect time for me to talk about not working on your business, to the exclusion of working in your business. Over the last few years, I have really witnessed this very recurring theme where business coaches are calling out their clients and their audience for working too much in their business and not enough on their business. And that argument absolutely does have good grounding. So for example, if it's because you're refusing to outsource anything, and you're spending lots of time working in the business on stuff you shouldn't be working on. So maybe that is the back end the admin stuff the the very time consuming stuff that isn't necessarily within your zone of genius, then absolutely, that is a great argument. The problem is, we've listened too hard to that argument. And we are now all about working on our businesses. We all think we are marketing gurus, we all think we are going to be the next Seth Godin. And the problem is, then we're working on our business at the peril of our clients.
Gill Moakes 2:27
I'm going to explain more. Let's dive in. And this will all make sense.
Gill Moakes 2:36
Welcome, welcome to the heads together Podcast. I'm Gill Moakes. And I am obsessed with cutting through the noise when it comes to growing your business each week via intimate coaching conversations and inspirational stories. I share what it really takes to get the results you want, in a way that feels right to you.
Gill Moakes 2:59
I am all about attracting higher ticket opportunities, building authentic relationships, and creating the abundant full fat version of your dream business. I mean, how many of us have even away creating a light version of what we really want? The thing is, I honestly believe when you're outstanding at what you do, there is no limit to what you can achieve. So are you ready to put our heads together and make it happen? Let's go.
Gill Moakes 3:38
Okay, so what do I mean by we're working on our business to the detriment of our clients? I think it's a case of balance. Like I said, in the intro, there is absolutely the case to be said that when you are working in your business, you need to be spending the time in your zone of genius, doing the thing in your business that no one else can do. So for me, that's coaching. No one else in my business can coach my clients. That is on me, that's the business model I have. I work one to one intimately with my clients.
Gill Moakes 4:23
And that is my zone of genius. The other thing in my business that no one else can do is creating content.
Gill Moakes 4:33
And the reason that no one else can do that is because I want my content to be my own voice. And when I'm talking about content here, I'm talking about this podcast.
Gill Moakes 4:46
So for the podcast, I outline the episode, I think about what I want to say. I come on and record it. The part after that, the back end of it where the show notes get return, the episode gets uploaded.
Gill Moakes 5:04
All of the emails go out to the guests, for example, on guests episodes, that stuff I can outsource that isn't that doesn't have to sit in my wheelhouse.
Gill Moakes 5:16
But what I've seen over the last few years is the message being drummed over and over about how you're working in your business to the detriment of working on your business.
Gill Moakes 5:30
And what's happened, I think, is that a lot of business owners have started prioritising working on their business. They're prioritising business development. They're prioritising their marketing strategy. They're prioritising their sales funnels, they're prioritising their design of their website, they're prioritising the development of their branding, all of the things which are super important, don't get me wrong. But none of those things are as important as being outstandingly good at what you do.
Gill Moakes 6:21
Everything in your business starts and ends with your clients. Let's just take a minute to really bear that in. Nothing you do in your business is as important as serving your clients to the absolute best of your ability. It's serving your clients that has people coming back for more, it's the way you serve your clients that has them recommending you to other people, it's serving your clients that gives you a business to market, not the other way round. We didn't start unless you are a marketing agency. And if you are, then absolutely, that's how you're serving your clients is being really good at marketing and executing that for them.
Gill Moakes 7:17
But for most of us, if you're a coach, if you're a consultant, if you are a brand strategist, whatever it is you do, you didn't start your business to become obsessed with being the best marketer you can be. I started my business, utterly committed to be the best coach I can be. And that means that sometimes my marketing is not on point. Sometimes my marketing suffers, because my bandwidth is absolutely dedicated to my clients that week. And maybe we've had something that has meant more time has gone into that. And I'm absolutely okay with that. Because I started this business to be a fantastic coach, not a fantastic marketer, not a fantastic salesperson, not a fantastic graphic designer.
Gill Moakes 8:23
And as always, the truth is in the middle, there are times when business development needs to have a solid level of priority in your business.
Gill Moakes 8:38
It's never going to be your top priority. But there are times when your marketing strategy when your sales strategy all of those things need to be given their justified attention. Okay, but until you are absolutely confident in your mind that your customer service, the way you roll out your service to your clients, the way you over deliver to those clients and make them feel like they are the most important people in your world.
Gill Moakes 9:11
Then I don't care how good you are at your marketing.
Gill Moakes 9:16
Your business is not going to be as successful as it could be.
Gill Moakes 9:23
This is really big people listening. This is really big.
Gill Moakes 9:28
It's some it's a pattern I'm seeing a lot. What happens is we're taking a look at the Marie Forleo is the Amy Porterfield the James Wedmore is of this world you know the the Tony Robbins is the Brene browns, whoever you are here Oh perhaps it is in the online world. We're looking at those people and we're thinking, oh, you know the way they market their businesses fantastic.
Gill Moakes 10:00
If I'm going to absolutely emulate that, I'm going to learn from them. All of the different funnels I need, I'm going to learn from them how to build my email list the best way. And I'm going to copy what they do exact to the letter so that I can have the same results they have.
Gill Moakes 10:19
I'm going to listen to the, to the gurus who are telling me that one to one work is no way to grow a business. It's not sustainable. It's not scalable, I absolutely need to do everything in big numbers. So I need to leverage a group programme or course or, you know, and again, yeah, that there are absolutely places for those things in your business when the time's right. But the problem is, we look at these gurus when they're very far down the path business model. And we forget that it's taken years, for them to get to the point where they have the luxury of adding in all of those leveraged revenue streams, I really get pissed off to be quite honest with the downer that people have on working one to one.
Gill Moakes 11:18
I seriously believe that people feel almost as though they're not making the progress they should be making if they're still working with their clients one to one.
Gill Moakes 11:33
And this is such a crazy paradigm. Because working with a client one to one is where that client gets the best, most transformational results.
Gill Moakes 11:48
Everything below that group programmes, courses, workshops, masterminds, all of those things are great.
Gill Moakes 12:01
But they're never going to bring about the same transformation that intimately working with someone one to one getting under the skin of that clients business, and really bringing about huge change for them. Nothing is going to bring about that result, the same as one to one coaching, or one to one consulting, we'll do. Do you see how that's a complete paradigm shift? You know, it's almost as if the coveted prize is the leveraged offer, where I'm helping all of these people, and I'm doing it in a group setting yet, that's perfect. But from the clients perspective, the clients perspective, a very premium one to one offer is what some people will always want from you. And I think you're missing a trick, if you are starting to see that as a poor use of your time. Now, of course, the caveat is that it is a intense use of your time, and therefore must carry a decent price tag.
Gill Moakes 13:11
Because otherwise, it will be difficult, of course, to grow your business if you've got to work with you know, 1020 clients at a time to be able to get the income that you desire. But when you're first starting out, or even in the first couple of years of your business, have really solid practice of working one to one with your clients. Bringing about the big results for those clients is how you're going to grow your business. And that really means working in your business working with those clients, it's important.
Gill Moakes 13:51
It's important to remember that your clients are the beginning and the end of your business.
Gill Moakes 13:57
Now, like I say, this doesn't for one minute mean that as you move forward on your entrepreneurial path, doesn't mean that there isn't going to be a place for those leveraged offers, the group programmes that courses all of those things.
Gill Moakes 14:15
But those come later, those come particularly when you've had a chance to get results with clients when you've got the testimonials. Just remember testimonials from clients for whom you've got results are the most valuable marketing asset your business will ever have. By far by a million miles.
Gill Moakes 14:38
You will never be able to create a Facebook ad or a beautiful landing page, wonderful website, perfect video, etc. None None of those will ever be as valuable to your business as a Client Testimonial. Well, that's social proof that that evidence people want evidence before they invest.
Gill Moakes 15:04
And that is what testimonials are in your business.
Gill Moakes 15:09
So that's really important to remember. And the best way to get those glowing testimonials is working with clients because you rarely get to request the in depth testimonials with a one to one client. You can ask those clients for a video testimonial, you can ask them to be interviewed by you, for example.
Gill Moakes 15:31
So I guess the point I'm making in this episode is that I am seeing just too many business owners who focus on their strategies, their marketing strategies, building their beautiful website mapping out intricate sales funnels, and obsessing over their social media followings. before they've even mastered the art of delivering to their clients this phenomenal experience or service. Please, please, please make that your priority.
Gill Moakes 16:03
There is an order to everything and all that other stuff has its place. But that place is after you have really mastered the art of serving your clients. Remarkably, the business arena is bloody crowded, particularly if you're in coaching or consulting, it's so crowded. And to be honest with you, there's nothing new under the sun. There's nothing new under the sun, the only thing that can really set you apart, is to be absolutely bloody outstanding at what you do. The rest is wrapping. Right. The only thing that can really set you apart is how good you are. You know, I don't know if you've read Cal Newports book. So good. They Can't Ignore You have a read of that. That's a really good one. The here's the really good news.
Gill Moakes 17:03
If you are a phenomenal coach, or a nominal consultant, then there's really no limit to where you can take your business. All of the other things that you've been beavering away at, you know, the marketing, all of the things beyond delivering to clients become so much easier when they take their rightful place in your business. And that rightful place is behind serving your clients to the absolute best of your ability. Just be that good. Prioritise it late, Stephen Covey, you know, take his advice, just keep sharpening the saw.
Gill Moakes 17:47
What are you doing every day, to be a better coach, a better consultant, a better designer?
Gill Moakes 17:56
What are you doing every day to set yourself apart. And if your days at the moment, are absolutely filled with working on your business, whether that's marketing, whether it's creating content, whether it's whatever it is, that is filling your time at the moment, and is making you feel pressure around delivering to your clients, stop, stop and rethink what your weeks look like. If you have to strip out your calendar, put block out all of your client work time.
Gill Moakes 18:41
Double it if you have to do the most incredible job you could possibly do for your clients and fit the rest in around it. Because nothing is more important. I think I've really laboured this point, haven't I? This has been like a duly lecture. I don't get I'm not apologising all my phone wasn't on silent either. Oh my god, what is she doing? I feel really passionate about this fair bit exhausted. Actually, I feel like I got really riled up on this one. But it's really means so much to me. And it's the you know, the question I'm asked the most from Coaches and Consultants is, how do I get clients? How do I get more clients? How do I get the right clients? Okay.
Gill Moakes 19:29
How do I get those clients?
Gill Moakes 19:32
And my answer, I would I have probably seven or eight things which form the answer to that question, but the number one is always the same.
Gill Moakes 19:43
It's be outstanding at what you do.
Gill Moakes 19:48
Nothing else will ever trump that.
Gill Moakes 19:51
Okay, all righty, everybody have a bloody fantastic week. Oh look, I'm singing the outro now as well. Might start taking requests.
Gill Moakes 20:03
Anyway, have a great week everyone. Has everyone started thinking about planning for next year? Because if that's the season you're in at the moment, how about looking at it through this paradigm, through the paradigm of prioritising your client work above everything and anything else. I'm saying it like, you don't already do this. And I'm pretty sure most of you are really good at doing this already. But it's a timely reminder when we get bogged down in marketing. And when we start beating ourselves up, maybe for not being as consistent as we'd like to be. The really good reminder is, if it's because I'm prioritising the service I give my clients then that's okay. Then that means I'm doing it right.
Gill Moakes 20:54
Alright, everyone, have a great week. I'll catch you next week. Bye for now.
Gill Moakes 21:02
I hope you enjoyed this episode, and that getting our heads together this week has filled your mind with what's possible. If you love the show, would you do me a massive favour please? Would you leave a five star rating on Apple podcasts? It would really help you put more heads together, which will ears and expand more minds. Until next week. Bye for now.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
