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Unlocking Client Connections: Mastering Discovery Calls for Business Success with Amy Posner
Unlocking Client Connections: Mastering Discovery Calls for Business Success with Amy Posner
Ever wondered why some discovery calls effortlessly turn into loyal clients while others fizzle out? What’s the secret to making every call a stepping stone to success? Amy Posner and I talked all about Discovery calls and I can’t wait to share. Transcript below! Here is how to connect with her:
Gifts: 7 Step Roadmap for Discovery Calls
Breakthrough Clients
Breakthrough Sales Calls
Complete Breakthrough Freelancer
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Transcript:
Jen Vazquez: [00:00:00] Have you ever wondered why some discovery calls effortlessly turn into loyal clients while others fizzle out? What’s the secret to making every call a stepping stone to success?
Well, stick around because my guest is sharing all about it. Welcome back. If you’re new here,
I’m Jen Vazquez. I help hyper busy female service providers use Pinterest to book more clients and increase their income and impact. On this podcast, I also host expert interviews on marketing. So if marketing is something that you want to learn more about or really hone those skills, we would love for you to subscribe either to the podcast or the YouTube channel if you’re watching it here.
Today, I am so excited to be chatting with Amy Posner. Amy is a seasoned entrepreneur and business coach who helps digital creative freelancers build breakthrough businesses.
Welcome, Amy. I’m so glad to have you here.
Amy Posner: Thanks Jen. I’m delighted to be here. Really excited.
Jen Vazquez: I always love to [00:01:00] start with a question , to find out a little bit about how you got to what you’re doing today. So tell us a little bit about how you got to where you are today. I
Amy Posner: Sure. Well, it’s funny. I grew up in a family business and I was the one who never wanted to be in business. I was going to be the creative, you know, it’s like I didn’t need to do that. , and, and so I, you know, I went off, did my, did my thing. at some point in my twenties. I got a job, just this random job in New York City.
They, you know, put food on the table. And I kept having marketing ideas for this guy I was working for. And I was like, why not if we did this? And what if he did that? And, um, he really liked my ideas and eventually offered me to become a partner in his business at this very low buy in. And I I had no interest, but I was like, I didn’t have no interest, but it wasn’t like the thing I wanted to choose, but it seemed like it was interesting and I was enjoying it.
So I bought in, I’ve been in business ever since it’s been 30 years. , I’ve owned six different businesses. I loved it. I turned out it’s really creative. And the thing I loved was you could, you could sort of make stuff up, right? It’s like, Oh, we need more clients. Well, let me make up a thing and figure it [00:02:00] out and then refine it.
And. I thought that was really fun. I know it makes me a total nerd, but like I’ve built a career on it.
Jen Vazquez: love it too. I’m with you on that.
Amy Posner: yeah, it’s interesting. Right. It’s fun.
Jen Vazquez: I’m just going to dive right into it because I know everyone who’s saw discovery call on the title is going to want to dive right into it. What is the biggest misconception that people have about discovery calls?
Amy Posner: It’ll really surprise you. I think the biggest misconception is people think they’re selling. You’re not the discovery call is not it’s I intentionally don’t call it a sales call. Because it’s not about selling. I think selling is the thing that makes people really uptight because we think selling is about convincing somebody to do something that they may or may not want to do.
And it’s, and it’s not about that. The discovery call is really about fit. It’s simply about, I’ve got something I offer. You’ve got something you need. We’re just going to get together and see if it’s a fit. Like do I get you? Do I. Am I the right person to work with? Do I have the expertise you need? And, and there’s a, there’s a [00:03:00] process for taking people through that.
That’s really simple. And I, the other thing that I see is that people perceive that the person they’re, they’re talking to is an adversary. Right. It’s like we’re not equals. It’s like you’re, you’re the boss, if you will. I’m doing air quotes here. , and you get to decide. And so I, it’s almost like it’s performative.
Like I’m showing up, like it’s a job interview. It’s not a job interview. It’s really, it’s two business professionals determining if they’re going to work together, if they, if they’ve got a fit. And so I think the biggest misconception is that you’re there to convince somebody of something. And you’re not, you’re, you’re, you’re simply there to have a conversation,
Jen Vazquez: that would take so much stress off people who have to this point tried to avoid them. and I, I value discovery calls because they, for me, They help to weed out people that are not my ideal client. And yet I’m still lending some really good information to that person, [00:04:00] helping them out. I’ve had people who, I’ve had a discovery call, we decided not to work together, but they referred two clients to me.
So it is, you’re right. It is not adversarial and it is not like pick and choosing kind of what’s going on. It’s really to see if it’s a good fit for both people.
Amy Posner: hundred percent. And I’ve, I’ve always been a big fan of this idea of delivering value before money changes hands. Right? Like, so you show up to the call, it’s sort of a little bit of an expert console. Like, don’t think of it as, you know, like you’re being. Tested or interviewed. It’s more like you’re going to show up and like, they’ve got a problem.
You’ve got a solution. So let’s talk a little bit about that solution and how I would implement it for you. And there’s like a thing too. There’s a connect when you, as the prospective client get that I get you. Right? Like, like, I, like, that’s how we find fit. It’s like, do I understand your business? And this is another thing, like, for your audience, like, they need to be asking themselves, [00:05:00] is this a problem I want to solve?
Is this a project I want to take on? Right? Rather than going, showing up like, like, you know, will you hire me? And am I, you know, am I good enough for you? no, it’s, it’s Is this a problem I want to solve? And is this a person I want to, you know, depending on like the length of your engagement, is it someone I want to spend a day with or a week with or a month working on their project?
Maybe, maybe not.
Jen Vazquez: Absolutely. So let’s dive in just a little bit deeper on that. How do you typically structure your discovery calls to make sure that you cover sort of everything without overwhelming that potential client or feeling like you’re begging?
Amy Posner: Yeah. And that’s a really good one. The feeling like you’re begging. Cause you’re really like, you do not want to go hat in hand. You just don’t, you know, you really want to show up like sort of standing tall in your boots. Like, you know, not, not, not like a diva, but like confident. You know, this, is who I am.
I have a seven step roadmap and I, [00:06:00] I literally, and I, I, I can offer it to your, to your audience. It’s a PDF and you, I have people who literally like have been making sales calls for years or discovery calls. And they’re like, I have this thing out on my desk. I followed those seven steps. I’ve been doing it for years.
So the, what it’s, and it’s really funny because the first step is. Taking control of the conversation and the little segue language because you know, you get on a call and it’s like, if you don’t have an agenda, someone’s going to run the call and I want it to be you the service provider, but you get there and sometimes you’re like, I don’t know, like, like we’re waiting for someone to show up and then like, now we’re starting and there’s, there’s always small talk, right?
Like the weather, whatever you’re talking about, it’s really, really important that you’re the one who segues off of that. So like, you know, Jen, great. We’re chatting. Okay. Listen, you know, I want to respect your time. , so here’s what I’d like to do today, if that’s okay for you, if okay with you. And it’s a really gracious way to just take back the conversation and now say like, you know, I’ve got some questions for you.
I want to, you know, I’m sure you’ve got some for me. [00:07:00] So. Let me just start and, and this is where, you know, I’m kind of running you down the thing now, but this is where the key question, the first really key question is you want to know, and this is how you demonstrate your expertise. You kind of want to unpack why you’re there, right?
Like they, if they’re talking there’s a reason.
Jen Vazquez: to book a call with you? Yes. Yes.
Amy Posner: Right, right. So, like, like, so, hey, Jim, like, what’s the genesis of the call? Why are we here? What’s going on in your business that, like, that you’re looking to do X, you know, right now? And here’s the fascinating thing to me. That one question opens doors.
That you, that they were just like the doors that will never be open to you again, even if you land this person as a client, people will tell you like their business origin story and like why they are doing what they’re doing and how they got here and like, people will really go
Jen Vazquez: And what they’re struggling with. Because oftentimes when you know what they’re struggling with, that’s how you can provide a transformation for them. If you don’t know what they’re struggling with, sometimes you don’t, you can’t help.
Amy Posner: Right. And then it’s just a project, [00:08:00] right? It’s not like trying to solve their problem. It’s then it becomes more transaction. And here, what we’re trying to do is like, have a little bit of consult. I don’t want to just say to you, like, yes, you know, you can buy X and it costs Y and like, let’s sign the thing.
I mean, sometimes that’s appropriate, right? Sometimes that’s exactly what’s
Jen Vazquez: follow the yeah, you did depends on the depends on the person on the other end of the call. But yes,
Amy Posner: Right. And how much they’re revealing to you when you ask those, those questions. And, and so really that’s what it is. It’s just like, you’re like, you know, on a date having coffee or something, you like, you ask questions. So, you know, tell me a little bit more about that. And like, you, you’re really just trying to, to get to know them, but them slash their business.
Right. Right. Because you’re not asking the personal questions you might be asking, but you’re asking, you know, you are, are asking probing questions about their business. And that’s, that’s how they start to like, start to feel seen by you. And that’s how you get to demonstrate your expertise. Cause you talk about, well, Hey, we could solve it this way or this way, or, you know, I’ve done this kind of thing before.
And suddenly like they’re leaning in like, Ooh, you
Jen Vazquez: yes.
Amy Posner: like relief, like, [00:09:00] Oh, there might be a solution in my future. Oh my gosh. Yeah. That kind of thing.
Jen Vazquez: And then how would you because I have had this happen a lot. I, you know, I run a Pinterest management type of business and oftentimes people. No, because they’ve heard from everyone else that they need Pinterest, but they don’t really know like how it helps or something. So how do you read between the lines when a client might not know exactly what they need or why they need you?
Amy Posner: It’s such a great question, because I bet, and I’d love to know your experience, I find more often than not, people don’t really know what they need, right? Like, they’ve heard about something, It’s like, surprisingly, right? Like people show up
Jen Vazquez: on call. Yeah, it’s a surprise. Yes.
Amy Posner: right, and it’s like, and it’s so funny because as a service provider, I think like in the early part of your career, you don’t want to ask a lot of questions because you feel like, oh, I’m supposed to know that. Right. And like, if I ask questions, I look like I’m not knowledgeable. And later on, you realize like, you have to ask me every question, including the most basic questions.
Um, and that, and that’s how you really, you know, sort of [00:10:00] unpack what they need. But, but they often come in and they don’t know, but they have an idea because, you know, they’re smart. They’re marketers, they’re moving around in the world and they’re seeing things in the wild. And they’re like, that could work for me.
Or someone’s told them, Hey, you ought to have a, an ex, right? And so they call the ex provider and now they’re in conversation with you, but consider what they’re always looking for as an outcome. Right. No one’s looking for the service you provide in itself. They’re looking for it for a reason, right?
Usually like because they’re growing or changing or scaling or, you know, something, something is happening in their business. And so that’s the, that’s kind of where you want to dig around. Like, so, and that’s why I said like, what’s the genesis of this call? Like, why are we talking now? Oh, well, we, you know, we need, we need more leads.
You know, or we need, we need better visuals. We need, you know, we’ve outgrown our brand. Okay. And it doesn’t mean they’re not the brand expert. They don’t have to solve that brand problem. That’s why they’re in conversation with you, but they don’t want to show up saying, well, I don’t know anything, but I look stupid.
I, you know, or my site doesn’t look good. Sometimes they will, but more so. [00:11:00] So really I feel like our job is to then unpack a little bit. So like what, you know, what outcome are you looking for? Like what would be an ideal outcome of this project for you or what, you know, what would be a great result? And then you can sort of back.
track from their reverse engineer, what you could create that could get them the result they want. And it’s funny because I think often too, we think like we’re doing them a service if we say yes. And Oh yeah, I can do that. I can do that. And that’s great if you can do it, but it’s greater if you can figure out if it’s what you should be doing.
Jen Vazquez: yeah. Or if it’s really what they need. Sometimes people think they know what they need and they actually need something different. Yeah, yeah. What indicators do you tend to look for to gauge if a potential client is a good fit? fit for your services. Are there any indicators that you kind of look for or should look for?
Amy Posner: I mean, you know, I go with gut a lot and I can, I can often tell it’s like, and because for me it’s, it’s a lot like, like, I like you, I want to help your business. If I then, then it’s a question of, do I have the expertise to do that? But if I, if I have a [00:12:00] good feeling about it, that that’s my first, you know, sort of.
Green light, if you will. but beyond that, I mean, so there’s a bunch of things. There’s budget, there’s timing. there’s, and there’s the expertise match too. Right. Cause I may be talking like, like my business. So I was a professional copywriter as a service provider and there are copywriters that sell like an item for 1500 and there are people that sell the same item for 15, 000. Right. And they’re bought by different clients. And so like, you have to sort of know who are you dealing with and what. You know, what, what are their budget parameters and time? So I asked those questions because, because I need to know if I’m getting the feeling that like, they have a problem I can solve and I could genuinely like deliver value to them.
And, you know, all of the things feel right. Then my, my I’ll move right to budget. and it’s a good thing to be bringing up. Cause you know, that’s the, like people hate that question, right? I mean,
Jen Vazquez: and also I feel like oftentimes in the beginning of a conversation, sometimes the client is, or potential client is so worried about budget that it’s not even that great of a conversation until you kind of get that out of the way [00:13:00] sometimes.
Amy Posner: apps a hundred percent. And, you know, it’s so funny, you know, cause I’ve been that client. You know, where you’re like, like, I don’t want to waste your time or my time. Just tell me the price. yeah. And sometimes it’s a really good thing.
So I had this, I had someone who was, um, proposing a project to me and I want to know the price. Cause I had a feeling I couldn’t afford it. And I didn’t want him to like waste the time putting the thing together. And I kept asking like, can you give me a ballpark? And he’s like, would you just give me 45 minutes?
And let me explain this to you. And I’m like, okay, but would you just tell me the price? You know, was of those. So, but I agreed and we got on the call and the meeting and he had prepared a slide deck and he had done a lot of research on my business. And I have to tell you, Jen, there was a point and I literally felt it in the call where I flipped from, you know, that arms across the chest, what is this going to cost me to, damn, I hope I can afford this. And like I, and so like I saw what he did, what he wanted to do was show me the whole thing. He didn’t want me making a decision based on price and he was a hundred percent. Right. But I, but so basically what he, what he did was he, he [00:14:00] demonstrated his expertise and he showed me how he could solve my problem and it no longer became a question of, is this the right vendor?
It became a question of, this is the thing I want. How can I afford it? So I tell that story by way of saying. Like the price is the price and sometimes the price is the price and like you, you have a budget that doesn’t bend and you know, I’m fine with that. I’m fine. Like if a client really insists on knowing the price, let’s talk price.
If that’s your, your
Jen Vazquez: Don’t avoid I feel like avoiding it is the worst.
Amy Posner: It is. And you know what I do, I use a ballpark and I recommend that. And so like, and before you get on a call, you should have a sense of what the project is.
Jen Vazquez: Mm hmm.
Amy Posner: Right. So that you
Jen Vazquez: Yeah. No. So in, when they schedule a call. one of the questions in my call is this is about the budget around the budget for, Pinterest management. Is this in your budget? And I have a yes and no and a maybe. And so if there’s a no, I’ll launch right into the, their problem and their pricing and all that kind of stuff [00:15:00] first, because I want to get that out of the way they, I already know that they feel like it may not be, but they, but they still set the call.
Most people will not. schedule a call if they’re filling that out. find having a ballpark as really helpful to weeding out people who can’t afford you and aren’t even going to consider it, to not like waste your time.
Amy Posner: Yeah, I love that you do that because it’s, it’s fair for everyone, right? I mean, they need to know if it’s like, you know, if it’s three grand or 10 grand, right? Oh, I can spend three. I can’t spend 10. Let’s not, let’s not even bother, right? That kind of a thing. I think it, and, and, you know, I think this is the thing.
It’s like, so they’re not a fit and that’s okay. Right. Everyone is in a fit and that’s what we’re sort of qualifying for. And I think that’s the thing I want people to understand. It’s like, it’s not personal. Like they’re going to be way more people always that say no than say yes. And like, that’s part of business.
Those are your metrics, right? You have to talk to five people to get one to say yes. So you have to love the four who say no, because like without them, you don’t get the yes. Right. I mean, I know it sounds corny and cliche, but a
Jen Vazquez: and it’s practice [00:16:00] doing a discovery call. For anyone that says no, it’s your practice and doing it well and doing it better every time.
Amy Posner: hundred percent. And you have to, I mean, you got to be bad at something to get good at it. Right. So you’ve got to just jump in the ring. back to this, this ballpark thing though, just to finish that, what I like, I like to give a range. So I’ll say something like, you know, last time I did one of these, or these typically come in at, if I haven’t done one before, because now I’m not saying that I have, but I’m sort of implying that I have experience.
Um, you know, they usually come in between like, you know, sort of 5, 000 and 7, 500. I know that’s a pretty big range, but does that like, sound like about what you were expecting? then, then the hardest thing, and you know this, is like you have to zip it. You just have to, you can’t, it’s so tempting to like start talking and qualifying.
You just have to let them respond, like yes or no. It’s in my budget or it isn’t.
Silence is they’re uncomfortable. And in this case, it’s like you just have to go like, okay, I’m going to be uncomfortable. And then you just, you just wait. you know, and I, I also have a thing like when something is, [00:17:00] is pretty expensive, I’ll say, you know, last time I did one, it came in around 18, 000.
Like, is that, is that what you expected? Or like, do you, I didn’t have to send smelling salts with the proposal. You know, like basically what I’m saying is this price can make you pass out. Like I’m acknowledging, Hey, this is a lot of money, but You know, and it may or may not be for you. and I think that little bit of levity, they’re like, Oh yeah.
You know, it gives them permission to say, Oh my gosh. You know, I thought, no, I thought it be like 20 percent of that. Like, get me off this call now or to go, Oh yeah, all right. That’s about in our budget. And now you like, now, you know, the, you know, where you stand.
Jen Vazquez: Yes, and also I will also say if you have a number of different services, this is the point when you’re, you’re going to be downselling potentially to something else, if it is going to be a good fit for them and it can help them achieve a goal, maybe not their biggest goal, but to get a step closer to being able to, to afford you at some point.
Amy Posner: Yeah. And that’s doing them a service. Cause you know, they can get the, ideally get the job done and, you know, in a way that they can afford. And that’s different for everyone. And you [00:18:00] know, The thing is, it’ll be different for the service provider, too, because, like, what you’re charging now, you know, when, by the time they can afford you, maybe they won’t be able to afford you again, because, you know, you’ve got that much more experience.
Jen Vazquez: Yeah. Uh, what is your approach when a potential client on a discovery call has an objection or reservation during the call? Is there any sort of approach that you would recommend?
Amy Posner: You know, I think of those as, like, just discussion points. I mean, I would expect them to have some objections or questions or, you know, just, like, pushing back on, How something works. ’cause they don’t understand it. And so I just see those as discussion points really. Like I don’t, I mean, unless there’s some like really hard objection like that, that I think is unreasonable or doesn’t make sense, like I might explain it to them in the context of my work, or it might be a deal breaker, you know, it might be like, Hmm, you, know, we we’re not, we’re not connecting here.
This is not, it’s just not a fit
Jen Vazquez: Yeah. And it’s okay. I think that’s like the bottom line of what I’m hearing from you also is. It’s okay. That’s what the calls are for.
Amy Posner: a hundred percent what they’re for. And, what you said earlier [00:19:00] about like having the form where you vet people, , it’s good to have a little Intel on the person before you go in. So, you know, you know, what you’re dealing with.
And you already know which pieces you’re looking for, right? Cause you, and you have it. So, cause you have a sense, like you said, well, they’re booking the call and there are maybe, so that means they need to understand how this works. Perhaps right and so think you like you have you have the typical objections that you’d like if you practice these calls, you will get to know because because the same things come up over and over.
I think the thing is, is to just not see that as an obstacle, to see that as like natural curiosity and trying to understand like, how do you work? Who are you? How do I work with you? It’s an inquiry. It’s not, it’s not an objection per se.
An objection is like, sounds like something’s wrong, right?
Jen Vazquez: Yeah.
Amy Posner: I just like to ruin that a
jen-vazquez_1_02-28-2024_090420: what
Jen Vazquez: what steps do you take immediately after a discovery call to sort of ensure that that potential client remembers you and feels valued? And potentially can refer you to someone else.
Amy Posner: yes. I like to end [00:20:00] these calls, so usually, if, if we think there’s a fit, right, and we’re going to move forward, there’s usually something now that’s going to happen. There’s a next step. And so I like to talk about that before we get off. Like, I’d like to have a next call booked, you know, if, because what’s going to happen, like in my case would be like, you’re going to send me your messaging guide, and I’m going to look that over, and I’m going to send you a thing I did for an ex client, so you can see how that turned out.
and then how about if we, if we reconvene in a week, does that sound good? Okay. That would be X day and let’s, and I’ll book it there. It’s tedious, but now I’ve got to, you know, call on the books with them. And then what I’ll say to them is, and I’ll be very specific. Like, I’ll be like, Oh, you know, it’s 10 o’clock my time.
I’m going to be free at about two o’clock. I’m going to send you an email with the X, Y, Z that I promised, a link for that meeting on the seventh and blah, blah, X, Y, Z, whatever I’ve promised. And then I do it. At two o’clock or when, ideally I would do it right after the call. ’cause I want people to feel really well taken care of and that, and, and like show them that I’m really interested and I want to win their business.
but I, I just do that and I’m very efficient about it. And I’m very [00:21:00] reliable and I, I’m trying to demonstrate that if you work with me, you can count on me. Right? Here’s, I do what I say I’m gonna do. I’m fast, I’m efficient, I care about you. and then in that follow up, this is the key piece. Is to tell them why you’re excited about working with them or why you’re excited about the project.
Oh, Jen, I’m so excited that you’re like actually, you know, redoing your branding and I can see that, you know, we could come in and like really achieve X result. The thing that you’re really doing this for. Um, here’s the thing I promised. See you on the 7th. That’s all.
Jen Vazquez: Yeah. And, and I will also say too, that I think it’s really important on a discovery call, if you do actually want to work with them, but they’re going to think about it because some people do want to get off and have a night’s sleep on it and, or talk to somebody about it. Like that’s totally normal.
We we’re not trying to avoid. They’re processing because you don’t want them to buy and then feel remorse, right? So I always say at the end of a discovery call, look, I totally get that you want to take some time and think about it. I think that’s a smart business decision. One thing I just want to let you [00:22:00] know is I would really.
love to work with you. And here’s what I think I can do for your company. Because I find just that little bit gives them a little bit more confidence. Like tell them you want to work with them. If you want to work with them, don’t just let them get off call to think about it. And then I’ll follow up with an email that said, you know, I really enjoyed our conversation.
I love learning XYZ, a couple of things that happened during the conversation. And once again, I just want to say, , I’m really. Excited at the opportunity to work with you. And here’s the proposal, like make sure that you’re telling them that you’re excited. Don’t, you know, try to keep cool and calm.
Like tell them if you’re excited.
Amy Posner: Yes. I love that so much because like, think about it. It’s like, I think about anybody that you’re going to hire. It’s like, how do you feel if they’re sort of like, well, you know, here’s the thing. And it’s, everything’s very cool. And you know, aloof or like, Oh my God, Jen, I love what you’re doing in your business.
And I really want to help, like, I want to help achieve this outcome. It’s like, it’s going to make you [00:23:00] as the. You know, as the decider feel really good about this person and not good about them in a phony way, good about them. Cause they really care. And the thing is, it’s like for us, most of us were solopreneurs or we’re really little, you know, little businesses, this our baby.
Right? If I’m inviting you in, I’m inviting you in to deal with, like, the mo one of the most important things in my entire life. It’s like, yeah, it’s gonna go a really long way to have you say, I love what you’re doing here, and I’m excited, and I get you. Cause that’s, I mean, as solos, that’s what we’re looking for, right?
Not everyone gets us. But for the people who do, it’s like, come on in. It’s like, that’s who we want to work with too. So like, like be, you know, I, I know authenticity is also really overused, but like, be you. That’s, I people hiring you. Yes. It is so true.
Jen Vazquez: And then I want to wrap this sort of discovery conversation up, with what I think is really important and almost no one does it. what is your system for following up with people who [00:24:00] maybe it wasn’t a good, yes, at this point, like I find that most people don’t ever follow up. And I. I’m really not so great at following up either, but I, I suspect that we should have some kind of a system that helps us to check back in, in two or three months because , a business can change and then they can maybe afford you if that was the only reason why they weren’t going to work with you.
Amy Posner: Oh, I’m so big on this. I’m so glad you brought it up because it’s really important because it’s also they may just not be ready at that time, right? Budget wise. It may also be. I mean, you run into situations where people already have a provider. they’re interested in maybe a second provider or a backup person or when that person suddenly isn’t available for whatever reason or isn’t working out anymore.
and I’ve had clients, you know, come to me 18 months later, 2 years later, because I’ve kept in touch. , what I really recommend, and this is a whole other conversation, so we won’t go there, is an email list. I am, I am such a big advocate of the email list. It’s such an opportunity to just [00:25:00] be in touch with people and like, you know, again, another cliche word, but to nurture them and be in touch with them over time as they, so as they need you, you have top of mind consciousness for them because, you know, how often does like something land in your inbox and you’re like, oh, that’s interesting.
Yeah, I might work with that person, but like, are you going to bother to like take their name and put it in a spreadsheet? No. So when you need that person, you’re like, who is that? And something came But if they’ve been emailing me every week or every other week, it’s like, Oh, right. I’m just waiting until I hire them. Right. And so, so I say, if you’re looking to do an email list, find a reason to be in touch quarterly. Put it on your calendar, literally, like, you know, if this is April, put it on your calendar for three months out, you know, you got May, June, July, contact them in July, and, you know, in marketing, we say you always have a right to get in touch if you have quote, new news, invent new news, a new offer that you have, anything that’s happening in your business, a new case study, you want to share a new result for a client, you just want to reach out, hey, how’s business going?
Here’s, you know, here’s something, here’s something that’s going on. I have a great story about that, but [00:26:00] someone who came back 18 months later and ended up being like a close six figure client just because I kept in touch with them and it was only sporadically, it was only once every quarter or so, but 18 months later they were ready and we worked together for almost two years to the tune of like 70, 80 grand over that time.
Jen Vazquez: and I feel like follow ups also give them an understanding that you, like, don’t quit, like, that you are gonna, if, if you work together, you’re gonna do what you say, because you are consistently following up, like, it gives us sort of a, a peace of mind to people as well.
Amy Posner: I mean, you’re still there. You’re still cooking. You’re still doing what you do. You still care. You, you’re still available. It’s reassuring. It’s like, Oh. Yeah, that person’s that that person’s the real deal and Jen, it’s shocking. So many people are flaky. It’s like, just don’t be a flake. And you’re like, you’d be 80 percent ahead of the rest of the field.
Like it’s shocking. It’s just really shocking.
Jen Vazquez: insane. I agree. agree. Okay. Well, as we’re wrapping up here, what are [00:27:00] three things that have helped you to grow your business? Could be tools, could be advice, really anything, but what are three things that you think really helped you grow your business?
Amy Posner: I think the main thing is probably having what I call a client getting system, like having some way to have a steady flow of leads in your business. Cause that, that puts you in control, right? It gives you choice. I would say the other was, is being persistent and kind of bold, not worrying about nose and not worrying about the obstacles, just like sorting it out.
And the final thing is having a coach. You know, I resisted having a coach for so long. I just didn’t want to spend the money. I didn’t get it. I, you know, all the things once I started, I’ve never stopped. It’s like, I mean, it’s, it’s so good to have somebody who can like, see what you can’t see. It’s just brilliant.
Jen Vazquez: I, I agree. I feel like you can get growth on your own, but working with a business coach that really takes in you and your business and how you want to work and what’s important to you, all your values, all of that package, it helps you to elevate and escalate your growth. [00:28:00] That you really couldn’t do on your own.
Amy Posner: hundred percent, it’s just, you cannot see your own stuff. It is the weirdest thing. I know people describe it as like, you’re like in the bottle. So you can’t see the label,
you just, you just can’t. And I’ve been trying to crack this code for like decades. You cannot do your own stuff. You can’t see your own stuff. You just, you just can’t. I don’t know why, but you can’t. So there you go.
Jen Vazquez: I know. Well, gosh, Amy, thank you so much for your valuable advice and your time today. And if anyone out there watching or listening found some ideas and some tips and things that you can implement in your business, we’d love for you to leave a review and. As always go out there and do something good for your business, like downloading a freebie that Amy’s going to be offering.
Amy, by the way, what does that offer? Tell us what you’re giving to our audience for free.
Amy Posner: Yeah. I have a PDF and it’s a seven steps of a discovery call. And it, and it shows you like which things you absolutely must cover, but it also gives you a little bit of the why. So it’s just a nice little thing you can to like, [00:29:00] to feel confident. please
Jen Vazquez: so good. And that’s what I want you to do. Go out there, put it on your calendar, download this PDF it into your business. I know. I know, know, know that discovery calls will transform your business, and I hope you at least try them if you haven’t tried them in the past.
Have a great day.
