3 Tips to “Jumpstart” the New Entrepreneur
Congratulations, you’ve started your own business!
After years of working a traditional job or a corporate 9 to 5, you’ve decided to pursue your dream of building a business. You have a valuable product or service that will improve people’s personal or professional lives, and you’re ready to take ACTION to gain visibility in the marketplace, produce leads close sales, and generate referrals.
At Celeste Giordano Coaching I teach business owners at varying stages of business development the practical tools they need to “Double Plus” their income this year and produce RESULTS. But before I dive into the 3 action steps you as a new entrepreneur should be taking to catapult your business to the next level, let me ask you this:
What is the number one reason you became – or want to become – an entrepreneur?
The reason WHY matters more than you think. It will be the vision that drives you to overcome obstacles, stay focused, maintain a positive attitude and get outside your comfort zone to LEARN, GROW, ACHIEVE and PROSPER as a business leader.
People are motivated to start their own business for different reasons. Here are just a few:
Entrepreneurs are incredibly growth oriented. Some people believe that education ends when you reach a certain age, status or level of achievement, but entrepreneurs are never satisfied with the knowledge they have. They always strive to learn more via mentors, business coaches, books, audio programs, workshops, conferences and more. Entrepreneurs are also rarely satisfied with the status quo. They constantly work on strengthening the skills and resources in their toolkit to improve their businesses.
Many people who want to change the world and impact others in a positive way gravitate toward entrepreneurship. They strive to create a product or provide a service that improves people’s lives and, ultimately, makes the world a better place. These entrepreneurs are visionaries who feel responsible for aligning their goals with their strengths and creativity to contribute to society and impact people.
Entrepreneurs are often driven to create businesses that allow them to live life on their own terms. Valuing freedom and independence, they want a lifestyle that isn’t bound to the traditional nine to five schedule dictated by someone else. Entrepreneurs work hard, but they have a far more flexible lifestyle than the corporate world permits. They can create their own hours, work from a home office, and – most importantly – shape their life as they see fit.
Of course, ambitious entrepreneurs are also driven by the lifestyle they can create via a profitable business. First and foremost, entrepreneurs want to create a lifestyle that affords them the time to do the things they love, enjoy time with friends and family, and give back to their community and the causes they are most passionate about. They also want the ability to buy special gifts for friends and family on the holidays, take luxurious vacations each year, and build a beautiful home without having to set a careful budget. What’s more, they want to create a business so prosperous that they can leave a legacy that supports their children and generations to come.
Whatever your motives are for entering into the vibrant world of entrepreneurship, make sure you write them down and review them regularly. They will help keep you focused as you develop your business development strategy and put it into action.
1. Don’t be afraid of door to door sales!
With the right sales strategies, you can turn prospects into paying customers over the phone and even via strategic email marketing campaigns. But there is no comparing the effectiveness of selling from behind a telephone or computer screen with the power of meeting potential customers face to face.
I encourage my clients to get out there and build relationships in person! It takes real confidence to knock on the door of a person or business with whom you have no affiliation or connection, especially when you first get started. Sure, some people will politely (or less than politely) explain they aren’t interested in hearing what you have to offer. However, with consistency, perseverance, a positive mindset and a proven system, you’ll quickly learn what matters to customers, what they want and how to close more sales.
Going door to door teaches you more than resilience; it also teaches you to get creative about how to gain people’s attention. It also necessitates that you learn how to effectively and efficiently explain what you offer, what problems your product or service solves, offers and what practical value it will bring them. Simply put: meeting potential customers face-to-face will make you a stronger business person.
*A Door-to-Door Sales Experience I’ll Never Forget*
I’d like to share a story about a lesson learned from my own door-to-door sales experience. Many years ago, back when I was selling vacuum cleaners, I lived in Kentucky with my first husband. It was the coldest winter I could ever remember, with sub-zero temperatures and huge snow banks piled up at the side of the road. You could see your breath before your eyes.
I was out there in that freezing cold one night in the dark. I’d been out all day long and I was exhausted and chilled to the bone. I needed to sell one more vacuum. I was out on the street shivering, looking back at the house I had just walked away from. The woman had politely told me she wasn’t interested. And I stood there outside her house with tears streaming down my face. The stakes were high. I knew if I didn’t at least try and show that vacuum one more time, my electricity would be turned off the next day. It was the coldest winter on record and I was terrified.
At the time, I knew if I didn’t make those demos, we couldn’t pay rent. We couldn’t put gas in the car. We couldn’t eat.
So, I went back up, knocked on the woman’s door and said, “Ma’am, I’ve got to come in here and show this vacuum just one more time today. Please.” I was desperate. She could see it, said yes and let me in. After I spent a couple hours with her, she bought the vacuum that would keep the heat on in my house for another 30 days.
I share this story because I want you know I don’t encourage my clients to do anything I haven’t done – and mastered – myself. Those days selling vacuums door to door weren’t easy, nor were my life circumstances at the time. But that’s when I emerged as a master of sales. My gift for sales and business development was born out of necessity. I was forced to learn a skillset that has become the foundation of the system I teach entrepreneurs and sales teams today.
2. Get ready to hustle.
If you want to be successful as an entrepreneur, you need to be prepared to hustle. This is especially true if you’re just getting started. In short, hustling means bringing your A game and putting in hard work. It means attending networking events at least weekly to make a name for yourself, build relationships and gain visibility for your business. It means knocking on doors, cold calling and tapping into your Rolodex to generate referrals and quality leads. And it means having humility, checking your ego at the door, trying new things and being tenacious enough to overcome the challenges that will inevitably come your way.
At Celeste Giordano Coaching, I teach entrepreneurs to hustle smart. My clients bring their dedication and work ethic to the table, but they learn a proven system for generating quality referrals and closing more sales. Smart entrepreneurs understand that they don’t have to (and usually can’t afford to) reinvent the wheel. They seek mentorship from successful entrepreneurs who know how to get from point A to point B with speed and precision.
What has helped me succeed in the hustle is creating a story around my business. People are more receptive to storytelling and engagement than a boring product brochure.
3. Don’t rely on one stream of income right away.
Some people delve into entrepreneurship with abundant financial resources to help carry them through the tough beginning stages of business development. But many new entrepreneurs aren’t wealthy. They have bills to pay and families to support.
You may want to jump into your entrepreneurial venture with both feet. That’s great when it comes to being 100% committed to doing what it takes to succeed, but I recommend having another stream or multiple streams of income to help support you during the initial stages of business growth.
Relying on the income you will produce in your startup can kill your new business before it has a chance to gain momentum. Entrepreneurs need to understand that when a business first launches, it often makes little money. And whatever revenue does get generated often needs to be invested back into the business to help it grow.
To set yourself up for long-term success, make sure you have an income stream or multiple income streams that can support you until your business is off the ground and profitable. This may mean getting a part-time job; or maintaining your full-time job and working your business mornings, evenings and weekends. You may also have to develop new skillsets to help reduce your business expenses. For instance, if you don’t have the funds to invest in a high end professional website, build your own simple site using a template from Wix, WordPress or GoDaddy.
Attention New Entrepreneurs!
If you’re an entrepreneur with a new startup, you have two choices. The first option is to rely on your intuition and use a trial-and-error approach to business growth. This can be an exhausting, costly and ultimately risky road to take, especially if you have limited time and resources.
The second option is to invest in learning the tools and strategies that will help make your business profitable and sustainable as quickly and efficiently as possible. As a business mentor, one of my greatest passions is empowering new entrepreneurs to tap into a system proven to help them generate RESULTS. I help my clients avoid unnecessary obstacles and missteps that deter so many new entrepreneurs from staying on track.
If you’re a new entrepreneur who wants to empower yourself with the tools, knowledge and mindset that you need to succeed in your new venture? Contact me today to grow your business and “Double Plus” your income THIS year.
I am excited to announce the release of my first issue of The Blueprint: For Building a Legacy Business.
Sales is near and dear to my heart. Many small business owners hate selling but over and over again I’ve proven that anyone can learn to sell if they just have the right tools.
I love to lead my clients to success and as a business strategist my desire for this magazine is to help you in all aspects of your business. Several of my high-level clients, from various backgrounds, have contributed articles with tips, ideas, and insights for overcoming the struggles and challenges small business owners face.
The tagline of my business is Learn • Grow • Achieve • Prosper which are the steps to take to become successful. It is my desire as a connector and international business consultant that anyone who is struggling in business finds the help they need.
Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “double-plus” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with almost 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.
To learn more about Celeste, click here.
Want to use this article? Please feel free to use this content as long as you keep it in its original format and include a link to the original post and Celeste Giordano’s brief bio.
