Copyright 2011 Stapleton Stark LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this kit may be reproduced mechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying, without written permission of the publisher. It is illegal to copy this any portion of this system, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission from the publisher. Paige Stapleton and Brian Stark PO Box 70333 Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 29572 www.paigeandbrian.com ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this series may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage or retrieval system, without the express written, dated and signed permission of the author. DISCLAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES This System contains information gathered from many sources as well as from the experiences of the authors and a number of their clients. It is published for general reference and not as a substitute for independent verification by users when circumstances warrant. It is sold with the understanding that neither the author nor the publisher is engaged in rendering any legal, accounting or psychological advice. In instances where the opinions or advice of a legal, financial, psychological or other professional are appropriate, such professional counsel should be sought. The publisher and author disclaim any liability whatsoever for individuals' use of any advice or information presented within the System (Manual, Audio.) Although the authors and publisher have used care and diligence in the preparation of this System we assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. - Page i -
Who Are Paige & Brian Paige and Brian met at a Spiritual Center in NYC. Though they both had been very active in the community for years, somehow their paths didn t cross until just the right time. Once they did cross, they knew that they were destined to create something very special in the world and help a lot of people! Shortly after they got together, Paige s mother passed away very suddenly. It was a real wake up call for both of them and had them questioning the way they were living in NYC. Paige was working (unhappily) in a bank and Brian was equally unfulfilled in his work in the entertainment industry. Fortunately, they were both ready for big change and that time had come. They made the huge decision to leave the city, leave their jobs, and move to a place of utter uncertainty and complete excitement and possibility. After months and months of meditation, reading Spiritual Law by the fire and long, soul-searching conversations in their rural home in the Catskill Mountains, they entered the world of Life Purpose Coaching. Trying to build their new coaching business on their own, they researched and researched concepts about building a business and online marketing. They pretty quickly burned through their savings, were getting deeper and deeper in debt and were wondering how they were going to make this business work. They got their answer! One day, on the way into town, Brian had an epiphany. - Page ii -
While sitting at a stop sign, Brian heard a message clear as day. You re to teach people about prosperity. This was of course a disconnect for him, as they were so heavily in debt. But the message was repeated again and followed by, You will get the prosperity you desire, by helping others to become prosperous. And that s when they began to realize that their life purpose was more than just Life Purpose work, but to help people monetize their Life Purposes through their business. They decided to get support from a mentor and do whatever it took to get their business off the ground and start really helping people to become prosperous. It was time to start using ALL of who they were and help others to do the same. Once they stepped into helping others step into their own prosperity and actually monetize their purpose, things began to happen very quickly. Their business grew to 6-figures in just 8 months and then started making multiple 6-figures after only 18 months. Today, they live in Myrtle Beach, SC and continue to help other entrepreneurs to monetize their purpose through their business and get their gifts out into the world. - Page iii -
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NETWORKING STARTER POINTS 1 - Find Out Where Your Ideal Client Hangs Out It's essential that you know who your ideal client is and know as much as possible about them. Where do they go for fun to learn, to connect with each other and to shop? If you don't know, connect with them. Find out where they hang out, what they're doing and what events they go to. You really want to connect with them so find out what's going on, and then go to these places, mingle with them, learn about them and connect with what's going on for them. List 3 places where your ideal clients hang out: 2 - Business Networking There is an organization called BNI, another one called LeTip, and a whole bunch of other organizations out there that are basically referral networking groups. A referral networking group is a group of people who get together for the purpose of referring clients to each other. These are set up in a whole bunch of different ways, but primarily, there are people who are members who come in and their sole purpose is to show up and have potential clients to refer to other people, and then to collect referrals for themselves. It's a great place to connect! Do some searching on Google for networking in your area. You may find a group that is not specifically BNI, but it's also great to visit BNI s, even - Page 1 -
if you're not thinking of joining one, to get some practice talking about your business and get some reactions from people. Get out there, get in front of people, and start getting comfortable about talking about your business. It's a great way to tweak your message, get reaction from people, meet people, connect with people, and find out what resonates with them in a safe environment. List 3 contacts for Business Networking in your area: 3 - Chamber of Commerce Most local chambers of commerce host local networking events, sometimes after hours and sometimes morning coffees or breakfasts. They are looking to build their membership, so these are opportunities to meet potential referral partners, to find clients and to connect with people. Chambers often host what are called 'lunch and learns'. This is a great opportunity for you to get out and educate about what you do. You may not be able to directly sell during a lunch and learn, but you can give away a freebie, you can have a raffle and have people sign up for your mailing list. List local contacts for Chamber of Commerce in your area: - Page 2 -
4 - Meetup.com Check out meetup.com and search for meetups that your ideal client may be interested in. For example, when we were focusing mainly on healers and practitioners, we often searched for spiritual and healing gatherings. If you are in your perfect niche, you will be excited to investigate these particular events - if not, you may want to take a look at who you are focusing on to serve. There are also often networking/marketing meet up events too, so check those out as well. And if you don't see one you like, you can create your own and invite others to join you. That's what we did when we created our "Brewin' Up Business" coffee hour and it was very successful and fun! When you sign up and start your own group, meetup.com will send out an email to all the people who have expressed interest in your area in learning more about the focus of your meetup group. Then there are people who you might never have been able to connect with who will get an email inviting them to join your group and to check out your meet-up. List 3 Meetups in your niche area: 5 - Speaking This is one of the quickest and easiest ways to get clients. You don't have to be a paid speaker and you don't necessarily have to be a great speaker, you just need to be passionate about what you're doing, how you help people, and get that message out into the world. You want to find places where you can speak and/or find places where you can hold a demonstration or strategy sessions. - Page 3 -
If your business is a hands-on kind of thing, can you set up some place where you can do some sort of demonstration or connect with people? We are pre-programed, in this society, to look at the person at the front of the room who is standing behind the microphone and sharing information with us, and to see them as an expert. How powerful would it be for you to get in front of your ideal clients and automatically be perceived as the expert, to share some information and nuggets with them, and to share ways for them to connect with you and follow up with them later? A great way to find places to speak is to google associations, organizations, or groups of your ideal clients. In this day and age, pretty much every single niche has at least one organization or group that you can become a member of. Find the local, regional and national representative, email them, and see if they take outside speakers. If they do, then ask them what the process is and what they might want people speaking about. List 3 Speaking Opportunities in your niche area: - Page 4 -
6 - Workshops and Seminars These don't have to be huge productions. You can create workshops anywhere from a couple of hours to a few days. Search out places that typically put on a variety of workshops or that put on workshops that speak specifically to your ideal client. Or, you can rent space at your local community center or hotel conference room. We have a wonderful friend who has offered an evening time in her storefront that she uses during the day. Be creative and create partnerships to make it more fun! List 3 places you could reach out to and do a workshop: 7 - Get Together for Coffee or a cocktail Start setting up coffee dates with people who may be able to refer you to your ideal client or have ideas about how to reach them. For example, we met with the leader of our Spiritual Center when we were in Maine and she was a fount of information and great ideas. This is a great opportunity to build trust and to create partnerships that can benefit everyone! List 3 centers of influence and fans of you and your work: - Page 5 -
8 - Calendar of Events in local newspaper or local info sites Check out the calendar of events in your local area. Get out there socially and be seen in your community. Support other businesses in their activities. Attend local celebrations and events. It's all about building relationships and creating support and partnership. It is also a great place for you to post any of your workshops, classes or public appearances. List 3 upcoming events in your area: 9 - Local Trade Shows, Expos, Fairs or Festivals This is always a great way for people to "see you in action". You can either apply to be a speaker if that is appropriate or rent some booth space. If your service is something you can offer in a brief demo session, you can help people have a better understanding about how you can help them and start becoming more known for what you do in your area. List 3 trade shows, expos or events coming up in the next year: - Page 6 -
10 - Fundraisers and silent auction events Silent auctions can be a great place to support your community as well as gain exposure for yourself and your services. You can offer a gift certificate or a free product or even a special package that you put together for that event. Again, be creative, give LOTS of value and create something that will stand out from the other entries. List any fundraisers or auctions coming up in your area: 11 - Sending out press releases to local papers A lot of smaller papers are often looking for intriguing articles to fill space. So, if you treat your press release about your event/get together/offering as more of an article that an editor could just put into the paper with LITTLE or NO effort, you increase your odds of getting it published. Also, if you can tie your press release/article to a current issue being discussed in your local area, you are instantly relative to current affairs and that increases your chances of being featured in upcoming news. Be sure to include all the pertinent info as well as a photo or two. List 3 media outlets you can start watching for trends and reaching out to: - Page 7 -
12 - Local public access radio and cable (Don t laugh) It s a way to get out in front of you community and you can also say, I talked about that on my TV show. You can check out local radio and public access cable shows, as well as blog talk radio shows that connect with your ideal client. List 3 radio, blog talk radio or cable show hosts you can start building a relationship with: 13 - Find a public place to offer a free quickie session Of course this depends on your offering, but think of places you can get out in front of people... The coffee shop, the grocery store, the park, city hall, etc. List 3 places you could reach out to and offer complimentary sessions: - Page 8 -
14 - Your own personal network of friends and family Don t forget that you have a network of people who you have built up over a lifetime. Does everyone you know (including Aunt Martha) know what you do, how you help people and what a good referral for you would be? If anything has changed in your business since you last spoke to them, it s an excuse to reach out again. Pick up the phone or send them a note CALL TO ACTION! Look through the lists you have just made for local outreach, pick at least 5 ideas that you are not currently doing, and take action on them this week. Choose something that sounds fun and would also give you a good return on your time and effort. Think about how you can combine getting out and reaching people with offering help and support to those you live, shop, eat, play and work with. Don't spend too much time planning - just get out there and connect with your community! And keep doing it for a while to build some momentum and know, like and trust. - Page 9 -
Tips To Successful Networking Networking is such a crucial element in building your business and there are some traps you can easily fall into that can make it less than effective for you and your business. We have put together 10 simple tips that can help you make the most out of your networking opportunities, and create optimal relationships that are win-win for all! 1. It's your party! We once worked with an improv coach who encourages anyone who walks into a room of people you don't know to "act as if" it is YOUR party. Therefore, it is your job to make sure "your guests" feel welcome, appreciated and heard. When you walk into the room with the confidence that you would have if you were walking into your own living room, you completely change the dynamic and empower yourself as well as the people you are engaging with. Win - Win! 2. Collect those cards. When we are just starting out, we can often get more caught up in making sure that everyone have received OUR business cards. Hey, you spent a lot of time, effort and money on them, right? But it is actually more important for you to make sure you get other people's cards and information so you can be proactive and followup with them after the event, instead of waiting for them to reach out to you. 3. Step out of your comfort zone. It is easy to be intimidated in a larger group, particularly if you don't know very many people. It is easy to get caught up talking to people who you know or someone who you have an immediate connection with and hang out with them for most of the time. Although it is important to create meaningful connections with people, it is also important to remember the point of taking your own time out to meet more people. Keep this in mind if you find yourself getting too wrapped up in a conversation -- especially if it is someone you see on a somewhat regular basis. 4. Follow up. One of the biggest missed opportunities that happens after a networking event is not following up with people whom you have met, and possibly even committed to sending information, referrals, etc. This follow-up can be as simple as a "nice to meet you" email or if you - Page 10 -
had a really great connection, a phone call. Don't let these opportunities for further connection fall through your fingertips. Make following up a priority for you... and for your business. 5. "Out of the box" follow-up. One of our mentors suggested to us that a great way to reach out to others is to do the opposite of what others are doing. As we suggested above, sending an email as a followup is great, but even better is to send a nice "hard copy" card with your business card included. Remember those Hallmark commercials? Who doesn't love getting a card?! 6. Don't introduce yourself as a coach, your modality or your company name. Introduce yourself with something intriguing that immediately gives someone a clear idea of how you help people. If you start with your modality or run of the mill "title", people often either don't know exactly what that is or they have a pre-conceived idea of who you are and what you do. Be proactive and share with them how you help people and more importantly how you can help them or someone they know. The key here... get a conversation going. (Think Authentic Introduction) 7. Get their name. Has this ever happened to you -- you ask someone's name and then two seconds later, you have forgotten it?! There are all kinds of memory techniques -- word association, etc. -- but a wonderful and simple way to begin cementing a new contact's name into your brain is to repeat it after they introduce themselves to you. She says, Hi I m Katherine.... You say, "Great to meet you, Katherine." 8. Make them the subject of your interest. One of the biggest mistakes people make in networking is to forget you are trying to build a relationship. It is easy to get caught up in trying to be sure that everyone knows who YOU are and what YOU do. When you shift into taking genuine interest in what others need and how you can help them, that is where the relationships truly begin. There is normally plenty of room for you to share about your services and gifts... especially if it's the right contact for you. - Page 11 -
9. Find out how YOU can help THEM. As we mentioned in the above tip, networking is a two-way street and you want to make sure that you are clear about how you can help others. Not just as a client but also in referring other people to THEIR business. When you take the time to find out about each contact's business and the type of clients they are looking for, you are creating a wonderful cornerstone for your continued relationship... and that can be priceless for BOTH of you down the road. 10. Stay positive! Be careful not to get sucked into negative conversations, even if you are having a tough day, week, month or year. There is no bigger turn off than someone who is complaining or seeing the glass half empty (or completely empty for that matter!). Staying positive and upbeat throughout your conversations says to people that you are confident in yourself and an authority in your business. Remember... Authority inspires! BONUS TIPS Stay Open! -- Remember, when you are out and about networking, you are not only talking to potential clients but you are also talking with potential referrals and joint venture opportunities. Keep your mind open and your options open. Really LISTEN to what each person is saying to you so you can truly get a good sense of the potential for both of you. Smile -- Everyone loves a genuine smile, it just makes everyone feel good. And when people feel good they open up more and you can build a stronger relationship faster. Be Grateful -- Always remember how lucky you are... the work you do changes people's lives and you GET to go out and meet new people to help and support. And by the way -- gratitude in your heart, like a smile on your face, can light up a room and make you a magnet for people who would like to experience what you are experiencing. - Page 12 -
Super Simple Follow Up System What you need: 5x8 Index cards (the big ones) A stapler A Pen (or pencil) A Box Monthly dividers (pre-made or make your own) Daily dividers (pre-made or make your own) Here s what ours looked like: - Page 13 -
You can totally make your own dividers (that s what we did): Our original box!: - Page 14 -
Using the system Step 1: Network, meet people and get their business cards or info. Try to set up a follow up appointment when you first meet. Step 2: Bring the business cards home and get ready to assemble into your system. Step 3: Staple the Business card to the index card, to create your Contact Card. - Page 15 -
Step 4: Write down everything you know about your new contact. Where you met them and the date you met them. What are their interests? What personal info did you get? When did you set up your follow up call? Step 5: File your Contact Card under the follow-up date. - Page 16 -
Step 6: Every morning pull out your Contact Cards for the day and begin making your calls. Have your Never Sell Again Conversation, bring them in as a client/customer and place the card under your Clients Tab. (Or if more follow up is needed, file them under the date of your next meeting/call.) - Page 17 -