3 ways to stop trading time for money

Let’s talk about over-delivering for your clients…

The first few clients I started working with made me feel amazing! I created bespoke plans for them, over-serviced them, stayed overtime on calls and allowed clients to DM me at any time.

After about 6 weeks, I realised…

This is NOT sustainable

It also quickly became clear to me that by consulting in a 1:1 capacity, I had created a ceiling.

When you only focus on 1:1, you limit so many factors… 

⏰ : Your time

💰: Your income

🌍 : Your reach

📈 : Your ability to scale 

I could only handle a certain number of clients and therefore my earning potential was limited. I was thrown out completely if a client cancelled at the last minute. 

That’s when a mentor of mine mentioned that a group programme might be the way to go.  

Completely scalable, a mixture of 1:1 and group mentorship, with lots of resources and a community. 

I went for it! My programme Content to Clients, was born.

Now I work less, on my own terms and I earn more money. 

And I’m going to share how you can do this too…

01 - Create A Course / Resource Bank

When you work in the consulting space, you will repeat yourself.  A lot.  Especially around the more tactical areas of your service. 

One of the best steps I took was to produce assets that I could use again and again.  Not only does this save me time, it also means I have a whole host of lead magnets and content pre-produced. 

But I didn’t package them up and sell them as an evergreen course, I use them to supplement my new consulting programme.  And whilst I use a course platform to host them, I could have used Google Drive for free.

Here’s how you can do it…

• List out all the actions your ideal client needs to take to get to their desired outcome
• Highlight the actions that are the same for every client
• Write out ways you can deliver instructions for them to complete this action, and the best format to supply this in ( E.g. workbook, video training, tool, document etc) 
• Choose a platform to host them on (Google Drive, Kajabi, Podia, Teachable, Thinkific, Member Vault)

02 - Create A Blend of 1:1 VS Group 

One of the main advantages of 1:1 is that your time is focused solely on one client.  But I found it could also mean that clients want to cover smaller topics that aren’t conducive to moving the needle. 

The main advantage for a client to take part in a group environment is the fact that they will also meet and learn from other people. 

Just last week, I had COVID and had to take a day out to recover.  Upon my return, four of my clients had arranged to practice Instagram Lives with each other privately, before “going public”. 

Amazing to see!

A group or community will act as a support network for clients… something that 1:1 simply cannot provide. 

Therefore, I recommend considering a blend of 1:1 and group… the best of both worlds. 

Here’s how to do it… 

• Work out the most suitable times to host group calls.  If you work with international clients, consider a morning and an evening session. 
• Decide how many 1:1 sessions a client will need to support them during the programme.  Base this on the major, strategic actions they need to complete to reach that desired outcome
• Choose a community platform to allow all members to stay in contact with each other (Slack, Discord, Circle, WhatsApp, Telegram)

03 - Now Look For The Quick Wins

To get your programme off the ground, look for people you might be able to help quickly…

• Speak to your existing clients - would they be interested in accessing you more frequently at a more cost-effective rate?  
• Run an early bird/beta incentive - communicate through your marketing channels that you are launching your programme and it’s available at an introductory rate for a certain period/limited spaces.
• Leverage your network - offer a referral reward to anyone who might be able to introduce you to existing clients.
• Post testimonials/results - one of the best ways of marketing your offer is to showcase how you have helped others.  Don’t shy away from posting and repurposing these results multiple times a week.

Switching from a 1:1 model isn’t easy, but if you follow the steps above, you’ll make a great start.

As with everything, it's all about testing & learning.

Have a great week.