Credit: Jenny Pansing

One of the more draining dynamics in a helping business is repeated cycles of the enough-clients-then-not-enough-clients dance. It will melt your enthusiasm faster than a double scoop ice cream cone left in the hot desert.

I see many spiritual business owners stuck in a limiting belief that all of your marketing should be deep.  When you’re first building your transformational business, it’s essential to give people a taste of the deep healing you offer.  

However, once things have started to flow the expectation that everything you put out has to be deep is likely to create unhelpful patterns.  For instance, this month has been a very good one for me including:

• More word of mouth referrals than ever
• A joint book launch project
• More offline networking than usual
• A wave of new clients.

With this background, this short post is my way of staying true to my intention to show up.  On the surface, it may not be as deep as some of my other posts.  Still, I’ve found a profound evening out in the flow of my business as I have made the conscious choice to show up regularly. I encourage you to explore how you can bring a more steady rhythm into your marketing.

What’s been your experience with how to maintain a steady flow of clients?  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the form of a comment below.

Credit: Dhilung Kira

2011 has been the best year yet in my business, my third consecutive year of greater than 35% growth.  (Insert happy celebration music here.)

However, the successes of 2011 went far deeper than how much money I made.  In fact, I believe that these deeper changes allowed the financial prosperity to show up while experiencing more fun and ease than ever before.

Because I want to support you in having more prosperity, fun and ease, I give you The 3 Most Exciting Success Lessons I Learned in 2011:

Intentions are more important than strategies.

Spiritual teachers throughout the ages have taught that what we hold in our heart of hearts is the largest contributor to what shows up in our lives.  In business, it’s more powerful than our marketing plans, project management schedules or quarterly projections.

Several years ago, I borrowed a practice from a colleague of mine of choosing one word to represent my business intentions each year.  My word for 2011 has been MOMENTUM.  The results have been remarkable.  I highly recommend this practice for anyone wanting to grow a spirit based business.

The antidote to overwhelm is grace.

Though it’s a little embarrassing to admit, I spent a good portion of my first 2 years in business in overwhelm mode.  More recently, when momentum would pick up in my business I’d tend to slip into overwhelm.  Early in 2011, a coach of mine worked with me to “let go of the regulator”.  The regulator is a part of large, older car engines that kept them from going too fast.  After doing the deep work to dialogue with the part of me that felt like I needed to stay small to stay safe, I eased into a new reality.

What I found there greatly surprised me. On the other side of that old protection mechanism was a deeper sense of grace than I’ve ever felt.  As I’ve cultivated that feeling, I molted my remaining overwhelm patterns like a snake outgrowing it’s skin.  (I’m hearing James Brown singing, “It feels GOOOOOOOD!”).  I’m able to be present and have FUN in a thriving business.

FUN is a powerful business strategy.

Speaking of fun, I decided to let my natural tricksterness (yes, I made that up ) out to play more in my business in 2011.  And my income grew larger than ever.  Is that a coincidence?

Richard Branson (of Virgin Airlines fame) doesn’t think so.  The primary message in his new book is “You’re taking business too seriously”.  You can read about it here.   While I’m still learning about how to skillfully integrate fun into a spirit based business, I’m more comfortable with this than ever.  And I’m ready for more FUN in 2012.

These are my 3 most exciting success lesson of 2011.  What were your biggest learnings about success in 2011?  I’d love to hear about them in the form of a comment below.

Annabel Fisher

On Wednesday, Novemeber 16th, I had the pleasure of interviewing EFT Practitioner and Trainer Annabel Fisher on How to Grow an Authentic Energy Psychology Business.  It was an incredibly candid look at the realities of growing an energy/spirit based business.

It turns out that this was one of the most commented upon – and most viral – interviews I’ve ever done.  So, I wanted to post the recording as a blog post to ensure that it’s easy to find for anyone who would like to listen.

Listen to Annabel Fisher call

Credit: H. Koppdelany

People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”  Folk saying

Recently, I’ve spoken with several heart centered business owners who were ready to give up. That sort of getting by but not really, wondering about how you’re gonna keep a roof over your head thingy gets old.  They started to doubt that they’d ever be able to do their transformational work and live a graceful lifestyle.

They had spoken with other marketing coaches and maybe took a program or two.  But the usual methods felt overwhelming.  They were ready to quit.

Why Client Attraction Seems Complex

At first glance, the world of marketing has become more complex than ever.  Social media marketing, video marketing, search engine optimizing, blogging … Oy vey!  It’s enough to start you wondering if you’d be better off bagging groceries.  But if you look a little deeper, there’s a simple reason why the whole process of attracting more clients seems overwhelming to many spiritual entrepreneurs.

Most marketers ignore the heart and spirit.  I don’t know of a mainstream marketing program anywhere that includes training in Emotional Intelligence, mindfulness or the other internal components of growing a business.

This leaves pure logic.  The result is that most conversations about growing a business focus on rational strategies and technology.  And in the words of the poet David Whyte,  that just doesn’t “bring you alive”.

You Already Have What You Need

Researchers at the HeartMath Institute have found that the electrical energy of what’s happening in the heart is up to 40 to 60 times more powerful than what’s happening in the brain.   So as someone with a well developed sense of compassion and empathy – core strengths of most spiritual people – you already have something 40-60 times more powerful than most marketing strategies.  

Come on Paul, you don’t REALLY believe you can grow a business on love and empathy?

How about a billion dollar per year example?  In 2009, I had the opportunity to visit the headquarters of Zappos.  When I asked him about their marketing plan, CEO Tony Hsieh told me they “don’t do much in the way of traditional marketing”.  Instead, they focus on “forming genuine emotional connection with our customers.”  By the way, they do most of this on the telephone …

Listen to how Maria Veloso, author of Web Copy That Sells, says it:

Your reader must be able to say, “Hey, she really understands my problem,” or “He reads me like a book,” or “She knows me so well it’s as though she’s been eavesdropping on my conversations.”  That why I keep emphasizing that before you write a word of copy (on your website), you have to know your audience.”

What if your struggles to attract more clients could shift just by relaxing into better utilizing your most powerful strengths – your well developed sense of compassion and empathy?

I’d love to hear your thoughts or questions about what works with attracting more clients in the form of a comment below.

Credit: Helga Birna Jonasdottir

When a yoga teacher takes her place at the front of the room for the first time, something changes.  She’s no longer among the rows of bodies practicing together.  She becomes something new.  Something different.  She becomes a spiritual leader.

Intuitively, you know that stepping into a leadership role is a different animal.  That’s one of the main reasons leaders get paid.  They are in a position to have an impact in more people’s lives and get compensated for taking time to do that skillfully.

Why Spiritual People Shrink From Visibility

Most spiritual traditions have strong teachings about the dangers of unrestrained egos.  12 step programs say that ego stands for “easing god out”. And many spiritual people have experienced what happens when a leader’s ego starts running the show.  Not pretty!

Another issue that can come with becoming a leader is what the Buddhists call “cycles of praise and blame. ” In other words, your students or clients can cycle from “your work is SO awesome” to “you blew it”.  And back again.  Repeatedly.  It’s not an easily balance to hold ..

Combine the messages spiritual people get about not letting your ego run the show with the intuitive understanding that visibility can bring more praise and blame cycles, and no wonder many spiritual entrepreneurs shrink away from the whole visibility thing.

The problem with avoiding it is that it tends to keep you struggling.  So what can a spiritual entrepreneur that wants to be successful but is concerned about the challenges that come with more business visibility do?

3 Keys to Staying Centered As Your Visibility Increases

You don’t have to get stuck in a push/pull dynamic with visibility.  It’s possible to maintain your integrity while deliberately building your business visibility.  Here are three tips that can help you:

1) Stay human.  Several months ago, I blew it.  I had an interview on a popular radio show.  I put the time wrong in my schedule and at show time, I was in session.  As soon my mistake become clear, I contacted the hosts and apologized.  One of the blessings of the conscious business movement is that it gives us permission to be human.  Don’t let anyone’s perfectionism – especially your own – keep you from this.  It’s a great antidote to unreasonable expectations and ego traps.

2) Create honest connections with other spiritual leaders.  Being a spiritual leader comes with a unique set of challenges.  Find people who are also leaders – preferably at least as visible as you are – and create honest relationships with them.  They can help you be skillful with the issues that come with more business visibility.  Isolated leaders tend to get off center because sorting through growing numbers of expectations becomes too much for one person.

3) Be real in your marketing.  Don’t exaggerate what your business can deliver.  If it takes your clients 6 months to make the desired changes, say so.    At the same time, it’s certainly OK to positively frame the truth.  For example, talk about the incredible support you provide during the change process and how good it feels when your clients pass key milestones.

What’s your experience with staying centered while you increase visibility in your business?  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the form of a comment below.

Credit: Andrew E. Larsen

Have you ever noticed how things often come in waves?  Lately, I’ve had a wave of clients who’ve been called to share more deeply in their marketing.  It’s been a pleasure to help them work through any fears about “Can I really do this?’ and find ways to do so that are effective, authentic and exciting.

For instance, check out this selection from a blog post from my clients Sean Tebor and Margi Halgon, owners of Center Yoga:

By changing the ‘model’ we opened with we have managed to refocus on what is most vital. Instead of a virtual buffet of modes of practice offered at Center, we are getting back to the juicy essence and creativity of a more synergistic, clarified and focused practice. That is what we need to bring to you, to share with you, and this foundation sets the stage for deeper and deeper ways to practice.”

Will it Really Work?

Most spirit based business owners long for depth.  It’s the stuff that creates the juicy conversations and passionate gatherings in spiritual communities around the world.

And yet, depth is not high on the list of most business guru’s priorities.  So it’s not surprising that one thing consistently pops up when people hear the words depth and marketing in the same sentence.  DOUBT.  

Rather than beat yourself up for feeling it, I encourage you to acknowledge and explore the doubts you might have about bringing more depth into your marketing.  It’s awfully difficult to create something juicy and effective if unexplored doubt is running the show.  If doubt has more fingers on the steering wheel than you want, tools like EFT can really help. 

Go Deep.  Apply Gently.

Once you’ve gotten clearer if doubt is preventing you from seeing opportunities, it’s helpful to become more aware of how much depth is a good fit for your business.  Some questions that might help you do this are:

1. On a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 10 (strongly agree), how much would people who know you well say: “This is a person who lives life deeply”?
2. If someone had never met you before and the only thing they had to go on was what’s visible to the public (website, social media, newsletters, etc), how much would they expect you to use words like wisdom, meaning, archetypes and spirituality?
3. How strongly do your clients believe that paying attention to core issues is important to get the results that they want?

Questions like these can help you tune into what level of sharing is right for you and the clients you serve.

Once you’re clearer about this on a feeling level, start to play with ways to bring more of this into every communication you create.  Imagine what would happen in your business if people FELT the deep power of what you offer in every phone call, email, Facebook post, blog, etc.  That’s exactly what I’m inviting you – and giving you permission – to do.

What do you do to incorporate depth into your marketing?  What questions do you have about how to bring more of it into your communications?  I’d love to hear your experiences and questions in the form of a comment below!

Credit: Paul Dex

During a recent session, a client asked me why it was a struggle for her to sustain the change that she worked so hard to make.  She is smart, motivated, and she’s been doing her inner work for years.

Yet, when it comes to making changes in her business and other areas of her life, it’s been more of a roller coaster ride than she wants.   Why?

How Leaping Keeps Us Stuck

When I was going through a period of profound change, I was blessed to connect with a wise spiritual healer named Marylyn Rosenberg.  Marylyn helped me understand the difference between “leaping” and “bridging”.

Like many spiritual people, I had a tendency to be a leaper.  In other words, I tried to jump in one step from the reality I had been living to the new one that I was longing for.  While sometimes I was able to pull this off – and it felt AWESOME – more often the results of leaping are like the bouncing phase of a bungee jump.

This bouncing comes from not being ready to sustain the full version of the new reality.  So, we jerk up and down between the moments when we can live the desired behavior or energy and the times when we can’t. I call this “vibrational whiplash”.

Bridging is More Sustainable

Bridging is the other major approach to change.  To do this, you look honestly at where you are and where you want to be.  Then, like a good engineer, you deliberately place supports in key places to help you span the gap in a sustainable manner.

Though the instant gratification world of the internet would have us believe that leaping is the fast path, I’ve treated enough vibrational whiplash to come to understand the kindness, compassion and ease that’s built into a bridging approach to change.

For instance, my client left our session feeling clearer and more positive than she had in months.  And, both of us felt fully confident that she would succeed with her new plan to grow her business instead of bouncing around unproductively.

How about you – what’s your experience with leaping vs. bridging?  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the form of a comment below.

Credit: Grant MacDonald

When first learning a healing modality, you need to get the nuts and bolts down. If you’re learning hypnosis, for example, it’s ESSENTIAL to know the steps of leading someone safely into and out of deep trance states.

When you don’t know the basic steps of a healing modality, two things happen. First, you’re much less likely to quickly and safely get the results your clients want. Second, you’re likely to look unprofessional (even foolish) to anyone who knows what they’re talking about.

Surprise! It’s very similar when it comes to effectively growing your healing business.

Learn Basic Marketing Steps First

The world of healing and personal development is more sophisticated than ever before. It’s an uphill road – some people even find it impossible – trying to grow a practice without things like a well thought out website, a regular newsletter, and a consistent presence on social media.

If you’re not consciously and consistently using 2-3 marketing strategies to grow your spiritual business, then start here.  You don’t have to learn them all. Just pick at least two marketing strategies and learn the basics.  If you need help finding something to fit your needs, contact me.

Intuition is The Key to Powerful Marketing Results

In any healing modality, a real master knows MUCH more than the basic steps. He or she knows how to use the power of intuition to get to the places that clients are stuck very quickly.

Intuition is also the secret to growing your business faster and with less expense.  The better you become at deeply understanding what’s going on for your potential clients, the faster your transformative business will grow.  Use your intuitive powers to explore questions like:

1) What do I know about my ideal client?   Think about both outer characteristics (age, gender, what they do for work, etc) as well as inner chacteristics (qualities that define them, things that are important to them, etc).  Learn to weave what’s important to your ideal client into your marketing and you’ll get better results.

2) What problem or perdicament is my ideal client facing?  Helping businesses grow the fastest when their owners are crystal clear about how the people they serve are stuck and what they want in their heart of hearts instead.  This is, in fact, the same intuitive circuitry that healing masters use.

Wrap Up

One of the reasons marketing feels so yucky – yes, that’s a technical term – to so many spiritual practitioners is that most of it is very mechanical.  Mechanical marketing is a turn off to most spiritual people.

At the same time, trying to grow a helping business in today’s environment while ignoring these powerful tools is sabotaging your dreams.  Instead, invest in learning some basics and than continue on to more heart-to-heart level communications.  

What have you found to work in terms of bring more intuition into your client attraction plan?  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the form of a comment below.

Credit: Mike Baird

It’s frustrating when you’re not able to manifest what you want consistently or easily.  And few things bring more joy than when you see something that you’ve been wanting start to show up in your life.

This past week, I’ve experienced great joy as I saw a dream of mine – to work with more local clients in my business – come into being.  I signed 3 new local clients in the past week alone.  It feels AWESOME to be watching this dream turn to reality.

How did it happen?

Activate the Masculine AND Feminine Energies

For a good portion of May and June, I was listening to and learning from the Awakened Man Summit.  One of the big themes that speaker after speaker talked about was the importance of activating BOTH the Masculine and Feminine Energies in order to effectively create the life of your dreams.

Even though I’ve been learning about these energies for over 20 years now, I had new insights. I realized that like most spiritual people I still had greater potential to activate their power in my life.  So I listened to calls and did some inner work.

The results? EVERYONE I did a free chat with over the past 2 weeks has signed up for one program or another in my business. Including 3 new LOCAL clients.  In the past, that’s the number of local clients I might work with in a year.

It feels wonderful!

Learn To Supercharge YOUR Manifesting

I want YOU to know how to create the life of your dreams.  So, I contacted Edward Mills, the founder of the Awakened Man Summit, and the two us created a FREE teleclass to show you How to Supercharge Your Manifesting By Activing The Mascul ine and Feminine Energies.  The call is next Wednesday, July 20th at 5pm Pacific, 8pm Eastern Time.

Click here to sign up.

In this FREE call, Edward Mills, the creator and host of the Awakend Man Summit and I, one of the summit speakers, will share our combined 40+ years of experience as coaches and teachers to show YOU how to activate and harmonize the masculine and feminine energies in your life so that you can:

• Manifest more of what you want easier and faster
• Break out of old patterns of fear, struggle and lack
• Get unstuck more quickly
• Consistently take focused, inspired action
• Have more FUN and enjoy the process of manifestation – even the waiting part!

Sign up for the call.

I hope you’ll join us on this free call on Wednesday, July 20th at 5pm Pacific, 8pm Eastern. It’s going to be a great call!

Credit: Roland Tangilao

Every good writer knows one piece of essential wisdom – “Show, don’t tell.”  This ability took JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, from living on welfare to a 2011 estimated worth of over $1 Billion.  In just a few short years!

Most helping professionals are terrible at showing.  It makes it much harder for them to attract clients.  In this post, I’m going to SHOW you how to use one of the simplest and most powerful client attraction strategies every to be highly neglected.  I give you …

(insert dramatic music here) …

The Shout Out.

What the Heck is a Shout Out?

UrbanDictionary.com defines a shout out as “A kind mention of a homey.”   While I am a big fan of kindness, I’m guessing that it’s been awhile since you used the word homey.   In the coaching world, a shout out has come to mean publicly acknowledging someone for doing something really well.  It’s this second definition that we’re interesting in.

Specifically, I suggest 2 things:

1. Make it your business to find people who are doing a great job with the things you want your clients to get good at.
2. Start deliberately telling people you know about them. Yep – start shouting them out in person, in your newsletter and on social media.

For example, one of the things that baffles many new clients in my business is how to create something really relevant and useful to offer in exchange for signing up for their newsletter.  So I’m shouting out client Monica Milas who just posted one of the best free ebooks I’ve ever seen.  Click here to get it.

How Shout Outs Lead to More Clients

One of the fastest ways to turn people off to you and your services is to endlessly self-promote.  Think of a dating analogy – would you want to go out with someone who was constantly pestering you with how great they are and all the reasons you should date them?  YUCK!

Here are 3 Ways Shout Outs Help You Attract More Clients:

1. The shout out is built on the vibration of love and appreciation.   These are the among the highest energies on the Emotional Scale.  Is there any energy intelligent person who wouldn’t want more good vibes in their marketing?
2. You earn their trust. When you introduce living examples to people who are hungry for change, you earn their respect.  Then, they want to know more.  No more selling to strangers!
3. You will naturally receive more shout outs. When you regularly bring attention to the successes of others, people will start to notice and mimic your behavior.  Psychology calls this “modeling”.   Many more people will start telling their friends about your successes and great offerings.  And nothing is more valuable than word of mouth marketing.

The shout out is easy, time effective, and built on the highest vibrations there are.  It’s quite remarkable that so few people are deliberately using shout outs in their marketing.  I’m such a fan of it that I have specifically added a section of my newsletter called – get this – Shout Outs!

What’s been your experience with shout outs?  How effective do you think they are as part of a client attraction strategy?  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the form of a comment below.  Extra bonus points to anyone who uses the word HOMEY in their comment!