Shemeka Brathwaite
on September 23, 2020 at 12:27 am
Right now I am working on automating my sales process. I finally have all the technology tools to help me but now I need to create my strategy. I was blessed today to discover a new podcast that focuses on sales systems for speakers. I am learning a lot and it is helping me think through some things for my business. Here is the link to the podcast. The podcast is called Speaker Sales Systems Podcast
Shemeka Brathwaite
on September 15, 2020 at 10:25 pm
Hello Ladies,
The master class was great on Monday! I have been thinking about my business process and looking strategically automate how I take my leads to a client in the following areas:
-Speaking Engagement
-Coaching Client (1:1/Group Coaching)
-Academy Student
Right now it seems like I am building while I am flying. I was able to get some good templates to help me get started but it is truly by trial and error.
Hello Shemeka, This is a great way to start. When you’ve identified how you will engage with clients it will help to outline your process.
LaDawn Townsend
on August 11, 2020 at 8:39 pm
Hello Ladies,
If you are looking to sell online courses I’ve come across a new system that so far has 90% of what I’m looking for. The company is learnworlds.com, they have different levels available and the set up of the courses seems to be user friendly.
That is great to hear! I just started in the process of creating online courses. Right now, I plan to use my current thrive themes to house the short free trainings [15 minutes] for lead generation. My actual premium courses will be through my Suite Dash client portal.
I have the courses outlined lined up and ready to go, but I am trying to sell them first before putting them up on the site. I can’t believe how much work goes into setting everything up.
LaDawn Townsend
on August 18, 2020 at 12:14 pm
Great job Shemeka! Yes, it is time intensive when you start but once it is set up you can launch and collect the harvest! Praying for you!
Peggy Dunn
on June 25, 2020 at 8:49 am
I have been researching Coaches Console as a tool to manage my start up coaching business. There has got to be a cheaper way to accomplish this without having to learn a bunch of new programs. Coaches Console offers: Marketing, private client website, contact management, scheduling, communication, billing, shopping cart, client support, course and content delivery, forms and documents, reporting, training and support and security and compatibility and is HIPPA compliant. I like the templates I can use to create handouts and courses. I like the basic website pages so I can have a few pages (landing, thank you etc), client website and support, billing, shopping cart. Does someone know of anything that is comparable but much cheaper?
Look at the post I submitted below. Take advantage of the Suite Dash app summo deal before it is gone. https://appsumo.com/suitedash/ You also get a 10% discount code when you sign up the first time.
LaDawn Townsend
on July 28, 2020 at 2:51 pm
Hi Peggy,
I’ve been looking for something similar and have had some success with InfusionSoft but was not satisfied due to the cost and the difficulty in navigating the platform. SuiteDash is a good alternative to check out
Shemeka Brathwaite
on August 13, 2020 at 5:39 pm
@Ladawn and @Peggy. I have been using Suite Dash for about a month and I would say that is it one of the best deals that I ever got on AppSumo. They brought the deal back only once since it ended. If it ever comes back do not hesitate.
Shemeka Brathwaite
on June 16, 2020 at 10:18 pm
For those who are now starting out their business and looking to get their systems and software in place, I recommend SUITEDASH it is currently on sale for a life time deal of $79 on Appsumo. It is usally $99 a month so you are getting it for life at $79. Get it now before it is gone. You do have to take time to set everything up, but once you do you will save so much time and money in your business. It literally covers almost everything you need to run the administrative side of your business. I have been using it starting today and love it! Up until today, I was using zoho CRM for my CRM, espeakers to track my speaking engagements, asana for task management, wave app for billing, Google drive for files, mail chimp for email marketing, youcanbook.me for scheduling and finally planning on using docusign for contracts. As you can see it was a lot managing passwords and different software account. Nearly all of the tools I mentioned I was on the FREE plan so I was very limited on how much I could do. Now I have everything in one place.
This is a great tip Shemeka! Thank you for sharing
LaDawn Townsend
on June 9, 2020 at 6:18 pm
Hi ladies, I just wanted to share another operations win! I’ve been on the hunt for a project management software and after trying a dozen or so (Asana, Trello and more) I’ve found Basecamp. They offer a free version that allows you to add team members and you can track up to 3 projects.
So far so good! If you are looking for a system this one might be a win.
Deneen Troupe-Buitrago
on June 10, 2020 at 8:16 am
Thank you for continuing to share what you are finding out in this area. I am always grateful for someone else doing the research so I don’t have to. 🙂
LaDawn Townsend
on July 22, 2020 at 12:57 pm
You’re welcome Deneen! Let me know if you like it. I’m still testing it out
LaDawn Townsend
on June 3, 2020 at 12:49 pm
Hello ladies,
I wanted to share a technology tool that has helped my team greatly when it comes to systems and that is a chat tool called Slack. It has reduced our emails by 95% and it drives a faster response on tasks and questions so that our operations don’t become backlogged.
I am currently have been using Asana for the past three years with their free account. I am about to make the transition to using NiftyPM since they have a lifetime deal on APPSUMO for $49 for their business level plan that is $129 a month.
Shemeka Brathwaite
on May 14, 2020 at 11:41 am
I have a good recommendation for two virtual assistants on upwork who are very adffordable. My main administrative manager I was able to hire up to 17 hours a week and worked with her for over three years. Her client portfolio have a few speakers so she is very familiar with our business.
Roz Knighten-Warfield
on April 3, 2020 at 11:34 am
Super Fabulous Girlfriends it’s time check your email and click the zoom link.
Fellowship is important to the body of Christ and we are looking forward to seeing you this Friday, April 3 at 12:30PM CT, 1:30PM ET for The First Friday VIRTUAL Gathering. This is such a special time for our sisters because we get to break bread together, connect with one another and grow in God’s word together.
You are loved, appreciated, celebrated, valued and most cherished~
First Friday’s is a great way to connect to women who share the same things in their life, relationships, spiritual growth and applying those things learned. It is also a way to share your God given BRILLIANCE and not hide it under the bushel….Love to all, Gods greatest blessings to you. Di
Diann Swain
on April 1, 2020 at 10:39 am
I am looking for a platform for PC- Windows 10 that will allow me to do a weekly short video including an intro in and out. I can not decide if the video series will be a product or free via request. Any ideas?
Deneen Troupe-Buitrago
on April 9, 2020 at 9:43 am
Diann, I have a Lenovo and I use the Video Program in my computer to edit. I know if you have a smart phone you can record and download it into your computer (I use dropbox for that).
I find the one that came with my computer to be simple (yet limited) but it gets the job done.
Turiya Hodge
on January 6, 2020 at 9:50 am
Greetings Sisters! I have been looking for free app that will allow me to easily track leads and create a followup system. And I found Hubspot. Have any of you ever used Hubspot? Or what are you using for lead tracking and follow up for clients! Please share!
Hi Turiya,
I’m so glad you asked this question! I just started using HubSpot after a year of trying out other platforms. I will say it is the best so far, I also have a few colleagues that are advocates for it. I’m still trying out the tools and making a few changes to align to our business model. I’ll keep you posted and please do the same!
Deneen Troupe-Buitrago
on March 12, 2020 at 3:38 pm
Turiya, I know I am late to the game here BUT what exactly does HubSpot do for you?
Thanks!
LaDawn Townsend
on March 31, 2020 at 8:56 pm
Hi Deneen, HubSpot is a CRM sales tool the free version is great to kick the tires and create a sales flow that works for you. Any questions let me know!
Karen McKoy
on August 27, 2019 at 9:23 pm
Greetings ladies I pray everyone is well. I have been out of pocket for a spell but back in the office and trying to narrow down some things. I am trying to use MailChimp with no success to hooking it up with my website. Does anyone know how to offer help in a simplistic way?
Shemeka Brathwaite
on September 2, 2019 at 12:55 am
Hello Karen, what platform are you hosting your website on (WordPress, Wix, Squarespace and etc..?
Karen McKoy
on September 18, 2019 at 12:03 pm
Hey Shemeka, I go through daddy.com which I think is WordPress.
LaDawn Townsend
on August 19, 2020 at 12:35 pm
Hi Shemeka, I use Siteground.com great service and good rates!
LaDawn Townsend
on June 6, 2019 at 8:17 am
Hello, any recommendations for a project management software that can be used for internal teams and to give access to customers? Currently, we provide soft copy status reports to our clients but I would love to automate this.
Hello LaDawn, I use Asana for my project management software. I have also used Basecamp and eSpeakers as well.
Shemeka Brathwaite
on August 7, 2019 at 8:01 pm
Hello LaDawn,
Can you clarify if you are referring to a coaching client or meeting planner? Who is your customer?
The recommendations would be the same for both, but then there are coaching softwares that are more specific for what you want. I use Asana for my project management software. I have also used Basecamp and eSpeakers as well for my speaking business. There are others, but I can only speak to the ones I am familiar with. The features will be based on what plan you subscribe to.
LaDawn Townsend
on August 27, 2020 at 2:15 pm
Thank you Shemeka, I’m going to give Asana a try the other platform is BaseCamp the free version to start. I’ll share updates!
Shemeka Brathwaite
on May 12, 2019 at 1:17 pm
I would like to learn how to build out a successful sales funnel. I want to create the right lead magnet followed by the right follow up messages via email.
Hi Shemeka, I can help you with that. The # 1 tip in building out the funnel is to drive potential customers to a call with yourself, or associate coaches/sales people if your business is set up that way. Before they are able to book a call with you I would have them complete a questionnaire (Survey Money or TypeForm) to confirm they are the right candidate to work with you.
When building the funnel ask yourself:
-What is the experience I want the prospect to have
-How frequently do I want to email the customer (consumer customers can have more frequency if you’re selling to businesses less email frequency is needed)
-What information do I want to capture on the front end (phone number should be required)
-What is the end goal? (sell an online service, event, product, consultation).
Hope that helps. Any other questions let me know
Karen McKoy
on June 17, 2019 at 4:38 pm
This is good information I will be trying this as well LaDawn
Shemeka Brathwaite
on August 7, 2019 at 8:20 pm
Hello LaDawn,
I agree that I need to prequalify potential coaching clients. I have seen some general questions that I can start with that I can upload to my website.
The experience that I want to have with the coaching client is trust. I do not want to come off as spammy. I do not email enough so the next time I do email people, I get unsubscribe because the lead have gone cold.
I want to capture, name, email and phone number. I am happy that we would have the ability to have a text to join service. My end result is to have the client receive the help that they need through the best service or product they can purchase.
Shemeka, thanks so much for sharing!
Yes, this is a great tip!
Right now I am working on automating my sales process. I finally have all the technology tools to help me but now I need to create my strategy. I was blessed today to discover a new podcast that focuses on sales systems for speakers. I am learning a lot and it is helping me think through some things for my business. Here is the link to the podcast. The podcast is called Speaker Sales Systems Podcast
https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/speaker-sales-systems-podcast
Thanks for sharing this Shemeka!
Hello Ladies,
The master class was great on Monday! I have been thinking about my business process and looking strategically automate how I take my leads to a client in the following areas:
-Speaking Engagement
-Coaching Client (1:1/Group Coaching)
-Academy Student
Right now it seems like I am building while I am flying. I was able to get some good templates to help me get started but it is truly by trial and error.
Hello Shemeka, This is a great way to start. When you’ve identified how you will engage with clients it will help to outline your process.
Hello Ladies,
If you are looking to sell online courses I’ve come across a new system that so far has 90% of what I’m looking for. The company is learnworlds.com, they have different levels available and the set up of the courses seems to be user friendly.
Enjoy!
That is great to hear! I just started in the process of creating online courses. Right now, I plan to use my current thrive themes to house the short free trainings [15 minutes] for lead generation. My actual premium courses will be through my Suite Dash client portal.
I have the courses outlined lined up and ready to go, but I am trying to sell them first before putting them up on the site. I can’t believe how much work goes into setting everything up.
Great job Shemeka! Yes, it is time intensive when you start but once it is set up you can launch and collect the harvest! Praying for you!
I have been researching Coaches Console as a tool to manage my start up coaching business. There has got to be a cheaper way to accomplish this without having to learn a bunch of new programs. Coaches Console offers: Marketing, private client website, contact management, scheduling, communication, billing, shopping cart, client support, course and content delivery, forms and documents, reporting, training and support and security and compatibility and is HIPPA compliant. I like the templates I can use to create handouts and courses. I like the basic website pages so I can have a few pages (landing, thank you etc), client website and support, billing, shopping cart. Does someone know of anything that is comparable but much cheaper?
Hello Peggy,
Look at the post I submitted below. Take advantage of the Suite Dash app summo deal before it is gone. https://appsumo.com/suitedash/ You also get a 10% discount code when you sign up the first time.
Hi Peggy,
I’ve been looking for something similar and have had some success with InfusionSoft but was not satisfied due to the cost and the difficulty in navigating the platform. SuiteDash is a good alternative to check out
@Ladawn and @Peggy. I have been using Suite Dash for about a month and I would say that is it one of the best deals that I ever got on AppSumo. They brought the deal back only once since it ended. If it ever comes back do not hesitate.
For those who are now starting out their business and looking to get their systems and software in place, I recommend SUITEDASH it is currently on sale for a life time deal of $79 on Appsumo. It is usally $99 a month so you are getting it for life at $79. Get it now before it is gone. You do have to take time to set everything up, but once you do you will save so much time and money in your business. It literally covers almost everything you need to run the administrative side of your business. I have been using it starting today and love it! Up until today, I was using zoho CRM for my CRM, espeakers to track my speaking engagements, asana for task management, wave app for billing, Google drive for files, mail chimp for email marketing, youcanbook.me for scheduling and finally planning on using docusign for contracts. As you can see it was a lot managing passwords and different software account. Nearly all of the tools I mentioned I was on the FREE plan so I was very limited on how much I could do. Now I have everything in one place.
This is a great tip Shemeka! Thank you for sharing
Hi ladies, I just wanted to share another operations win! I’ve been on the hunt for a project management software and after trying a dozen or so (Asana, Trello and more) I’ve found Basecamp. They offer a free version that allows you to add team members and you can track up to 3 projects.
So far so good! If you are looking for a system this one might be a win.
Thank you for continuing to share what you are finding out in this area. I am always grateful for someone else doing the research so I don’t have to. 🙂
You’re welcome Deneen! Let me know if you like it. I’m still testing it out
Hello ladies,
I wanted to share a technology tool that has helped my team greatly when it comes to systems and that is a chat tool called Slack. It has reduced our emails by 95% and it drives a faster response on tasks and questions so that our operations don’t become backlogged.
I love this tool! Check it out!
I am currently have been using Asana for the past three years with their free account. I am about to make the transition to using NiftyPM since they have a lifetime deal on APPSUMO for $49 for their business level plan that is $129 a month.
I have a good recommendation for two virtual assistants on upwork who are very adffordable. My main administrative manager I was able to hire up to 17 hours a week and worked with her for over three years. Her client portfolio have a few speakers so she is very familiar with our business.
Administrative Manager
https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~017618438549dc0be8
Video Editing Mary Ann
https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~019083b0dbfe9dcb73
Super Fabulous Girlfriends it’s time check your email and click the zoom link.
Fellowship is important to the body of Christ and we are looking forward to seeing you this Friday, April 3 at 12:30PM CT, 1:30PM ET for The First Friday VIRTUAL Gathering. This is such a special time for our sisters because we get to break bread together, connect with one another and grow in God’s word together.
You are loved, appreciated, celebrated, valued and most cherished~
First Friday’s is a great way to connect to women who share the same things in their life, relationships, spiritual growth and applying those things learned. It is also a way to share your God given BRILLIANCE and not hide it under the bushel….Love to all, Gods greatest blessings to you. Di
I am looking for a platform for PC- Windows 10 that will allow me to do a weekly short video including an intro in and out. I can not decide if the video series will be a product or free via request. Any ideas?
Diann, I have a Lenovo and I use the Video Program in my computer to edit. I know if you have a smart phone you can record and download it into your computer (I use dropbox for that).
I find the one that came with my computer to be simple (yet limited) but it gets the job done.
Greetings Sisters! I have been looking for free app that will allow me to easily track leads and create a followup system. And I found Hubspot. Have any of you ever used Hubspot? Or what are you using for lead tracking and follow up for clients! Please share!
Hi Turiya,
I’m so glad you asked this question! I just started using HubSpot after a year of trying out other platforms. I will say it is the best so far, I also have a few colleagues that are advocates for it. I’m still trying out the tools and making a few changes to align to our business model. I’ll keep you posted and please do the same!
Turiya, I know I am late to the game here BUT what exactly does HubSpot do for you?
Thanks!
Hi Deneen, HubSpot is a CRM sales tool the free version is great to kick the tires and create a sales flow that works for you. Any questions let me know!
Greetings ladies I pray everyone is well. I have been out of pocket for a spell but back in the office and trying to narrow down some things. I am trying to use MailChimp with no success to hooking it up with my website. Does anyone know how to offer help in a simplistic way?
Hello Karen, what platform are you hosting your website on (WordPress, Wix, Squarespace and etc..?
Hey Shemeka, I go through daddy.com which I think is WordPress.
Hi Shemeka, I use Siteground.com great service and good rates!
Hello, any recommendations for a project management software that can be used for internal teams and to give access to customers? Currently, we provide soft copy status reports to our clients but I would love to automate this.
Thanks!
Hello LaDawn, I use Asana for my project management software. I have also used Basecamp and eSpeakers as well.
Hello LaDawn,
Can you clarify if you are referring to a coaching client or meeting planner? Who is your customer?
The recommendations would be the same for both, but then there are coaching softwares that are more specific for what you want. I use Asana for my project management software. I have also used Basecamp and eSpeakers as well for my speaking business. There are others, but I can only speak to the ones I am familiar with. The features will be based on what plan you subscribe to.
Thank you Shemeka, I’m going to give Asana a try the other platform is BaseCamp the free version to start. I’ll share updates!
I would like to learn how to build out a successful sales funnel. I want to create the right lead magnet followed by the right follow up messages via email.
Hi Shemeka, I can help you with that. The # 1 tip in building out the funnel is to drive potential customers to a call with yourself, or associate coaches/sales people if your business is set up that way. Before they are able to book a call with you I would have them complete a questionnaire (Survey Money or TypeForm) to confirm they are the right candidate to work with you.
When building the funnel ask yourself:
-What is the experience I want the prospect to have
-How frequently do I want to email the customer (consumer customers can have more frequency if you’re selling to businesses less email frequency is needed)
-What information do I want to capture on the front end (phone number should be required)
-What is the end goal? (sell an online service, event, product, consultation).
Hope that helps. Any other questions let me know
This is good information I will be trying this as well LaDawn
Hello LaDawn,
I agree that I need to prequalify potential coaching clients. I have seen some general questions that I can start with that I can upload to my website.
The experience that I want to have with the coaching client is trust. I do not want to come off as spammy. I do not email enough so the next time I do email people, I get unsubscribe because the lead have gone cold.
I want to capture, name, email and phone number. I am happy that we would have the ability to have a text to join service. My end result is to have the client receive the help that they need through the best service or product they can purchase.
This is a great strategy Shemeka! Keep going!