Andy Black
Help people. Get paid. Help more people.
Staff member
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
Ahhh. Am I allowed only one one-liner? : (I have a feeling that @Andy Black has a nice one-liner ready to go for this specific topic lol.
The reason I like one-liners is they're "micro-scripts".
Anyway, here's what springs to mind:
1) Stop building stuff.
I wrote about that in a thread. I even say in that thread to stop building an audience. Not because I think building an audience is a bad thing, but that it's often not your end goal.
2) I like to think that building an audience is a by-product.
... of helping people
... ideally in public
3) It's ok to help people and not get paid.
... just remember if you don't get paid then it's not a business, it's a hobby.
Nothing wrong with that, unless that's not your goal.
Business is simple: Help people. Get paid. Help more people.
Start. Sell. Scale.
4) For those with a wierd relationship with money that somehow feel dirty asking for money or getting paid:
I think it's a noble thing to get paid to help people.
In fact, MJ even says "Money is proof you helped your fellow man."
Imagine you setup a system where the more you helped people the more you got paid and the more people you could help.
Another thought: If you go out of business you can't help anyone. Or you'll help less people.
Are you doing people a disservice by not getting paid so you can build a business that helps even more people?
And what's with people saying it's better to teach a man to fish while simultaneously dissing people who get paid to teach people to fish?
5) Your market is a demonstrated cashflow.
Your market is the people *already* paying money to solve the problem you're also hoping to solve.
What are people *already* spending money on to solve the problem you're also hoping to solve?
If there isn't anything, then how do you know you've got a market?
6) Fulfil demand first before generating demand?
Are there people *already* running around with credit card in hand? Start by selling to them first and then consider generating demand after.
Video:
7) "Don't tell the same people different things. Tell different people the same things."
If you find a few things that really help people, then try and get that in front of more people.
I'm currently on LinkedIn and part of me think's it's dumb hopping on a content treadmill where I post daily. The reason I've not dropped it like a hot snot is because I can't seem to NOT post content daily, so it makes sense to post on an open community like LinkedIn rather than just closed communities like this forum and various Facebook groups. I also think it's interesting to see what resonates with people who don't know me.
Oh, and I already have a bank of content that helps people (in this forum and Facebook groups). Me moving onto LinkedIn is me trying to get that content in front of more people.
8) Work backwards from what seems to be the common advice...
We hear a lot about getting people to an opt-in page where they can signup to an email list, where we send lots of good content, so they then buy some DIY info-product from us, and then a few hire us for our DFY service.
I think that's backwards.
I did it the other way:
I first helped people with a paid DFY consulting service.
I then posted learnings and helped people for free in forums and Facebook groups. This brought more paid DFY consulting clients (typically through referrals from the people in said forums and Facebook groups).
Eventually I was asked to produce courses for those who want to DIY it, by members of those forums and Facebook groups.
I produced courses and they immediately sold (with zero sales copy on the sales page) to the people who already knew, liked, and trusted me, and saw me as a helpful expert in my chosen niche.
Now I have a course/membership/newsletter that I know sells - to people who know, like, and trust me, and see me as a helpful expert in my chosen niche.
So NOW I'm trying to figure out how to get more people to know, like, and trust me, and to see me as a helpful expert in my chosen niche.
Only NOW am I working to create an "audience" of people who might buy what I've already established helps people and I can get paid for.
I've not even got a free email list, or a regular paid email newsletter.
I've not even "done" YouTube to date - I just use it as a hosting platform for videos I can show prospects I've *already* chatted to or messaged. ("Here's a video Mr Prospect that explains this better...")
Some would think I'm working backwards. I think I'm working forwards and everyone else is working backwards.
I've built my DFY consulting and productised services. I've built paid courses for the DIY folks. Now I'm working on getting more people to them so they can ascend from free to paid.
Phew... I knew I'd get on a roll when I started this. I swear I wrote a shorter version for this on Twitter. I'll see if I can dig that out.
PS: James Jani did it completely different. He jumped in, started publishing, got results, followed his nose, built an audience, and then monetised.
Don't you just love business? There's so many ways to skin a cat.
Hope that helps!