{ 0 comments }
Curious if becoming an OBM is a fit for you (or not)? Just enter your information below for instant access to the Assessment and get a copy of the free report "100+ Ways an Online Business Manager Can Help Boost Business."Please note upon signup you will also receive a complimentary subscription to the Online Business Manager Newsletter. We will NEVER share, rent or sell your information to any other organization. We promise! |
How are those OBM 2.0 shoes fitting? Have you had a chance to try our first two tips yet?
This week’s tip is another quick/simple one for you – what is happening on your client’s thank you pages? A thank you page is the one that comes up right after someone has taken action – be it signing up for a freebie, registering for a class or making a purchase. Thank you pages are REALLY hot real estate, given that people are engaged and excited in that moment.
And yet many folks do what I consider to be a big no-no… they just have a system generated “thank you, look for an email in your inbox” page. Yipes!
Being such hot real estate you want to make the most of ALL thank-you pages – and yes, I said all. Even if it’s just a free class… people are there, engaged and ready. Make the most of it! Some ideas include asking them to share (via tweet, like or other social media buttons), sending them to the blog, giving them an unexpected bonus, offering them a discount on a future purchase, making an appropriate upsell or even doing a “thank you page” swap with a JV partner.
So check your client’s active thank you pages, and make note of suggestions for improvement. And don’t forget to add a thank-you page template to the SOP guide so that you and the team are set for future projects.
Another tip for helping your client’s to grow their business, and stepping into your OBM 2.0 shoes.
What happens after someone signs up for the freebie (or pink spoon as we like to call it) on their website? The importance of having a good “next step” sequence attached to the freebie can’t be overstated – and yet many clients have either a) no real follow-up other than “here’s your freebie” or b) the follow-up sequence is outdated and referring to old stuff.
Again, a pretty easy check here – sign up for your client’s freebie and see what happens. Or log in to the system (autoresponder/cart) and see what kind of messages are setup in the follow-up sequence. The goal of a good follow-up sequence is to lead people to the next step – is the current setup doing a good job of this? Is it a good balance of education(value) and letting them know what is next? If not, what do you think would help?
Consider some ideas for adding or tweaking messages (maybe even going beyond just email if your client has a system that supports that) and make a list of suggestions. Then approach your client with your suggestions and together you can decide on how to make the changes needed. Then of course, as the OBM you get it done.
{ 0 comments }
Date: October 12th, 2011 at 9:00 am PST / 12:00 pm EST
OBM’s know that communicating effectively with their clients is important. Especially if you are trying to find more time in your business to stop feeling so overwhelmed AND still make sure that stuff is getting done.
Join us for this month’s IAOBM Member Event with our guest expert Bryn Johnson. Bryn will be sharing how to:
- Find more time in your business by implementing a few simple steps.
- Put a plan in place to make communication with your followers, clients and prospects more fun~ yes actually fun!
- Get insider corporate strategies that work great for small businesses
- Learn how to get those big dreams and goals out of your head and onto a calendar or they may NEVER HAPPEN!
Bryn spent 20 years in Corporate America as a passionate leader of high-performing teams and endless multi-
million dollar projects. ONE of her many secrets for success? Her ability to take complicated, often impossibly overwhelming information, and to quickly make it simple and fun. She is now bringing that same passion for planning and collaboration, along with her laser-focused implementation strategies, to her clients and broader online community. And if you really want to have some fun- just discuss networking, business building, social media, coffee and Post-It notes with her… she’ll talk your ear off! You can find Bryn online at www.brynjohnson.com
Call-in information for the live call is on your member login page. Missed the live call? Get the audio download on your member login page within 48 hours. If you do not have your password, e-mail us at support@obmconnect.com
If you are not an IAOBM member yet, find out more about IAOBM Membership Benefits by clicking here: http://www.obmconnect.com/membership-benefits
{ 0 comments }
I remember last year when I was coaching with David Neagle as part of his Mastermind program, and he issued us a challenge:
Totally threw me for a loop.
Thought #2 – “But I would really love to do this…”
)
Oh, and as a final note. I believe that a coach should really stretch you… and throw down a challenge every once in a while that really makes you go “eek!”. If you are a coach to your clients, what are you doing to really stretch them? If you are being coached, do you feel like you are being stretched enough?
(And I’m happy to say that we are only half-way through this month and a few of the ladies in my coaching program have already met their goal of making more $ in a month than they ever have before. Woo hoo! So we upped their goal even more. 
)
“Make more money this month than you ever have before in your business.”At the time that was one of the biggest challenges I had ever been given by a coach, and it quite honestly scared the crap out of me. It became an inner roller coaster ride of thoughts, fears, obstacles and such before I was able to accept the challenge. Having just issued the same challenge to the ladies in my coaching groups this week, I was reminded of my own personal journey – what I like to call the cycle of accepting (or resisting) a challenge from your coach. So here is the sequence of thoughts that I went through with that first challenge, and yes – this essentially happens to me pretty much every time I look at taking my next big step. Perhaps you can relate? Thought #1 – “There is no way I can do this now!”
“I have too much going on already, the timing is totally wrong. If you had asked me last month, or maybe next month, then I would be in a better place to do this… “I like to call this first phase the “I can’t” phase… because it never feels like a good time to tackle a big challenge. And whenever I find myself faced with a big challenge or opportunity, my mind first goes to all the reasons why I can’t do it. Be it timing, money, energy, other commitments, etc. (It’s amazing how many excuses my mind can come up with!) And yes, I feel a bit angry/annoyed in this stage. In the example with David last year, I was in the middle of creating a brand new program and planning a big launch for the next month – and was essentially planning for it to be a lower income month. And then he issued that challenge, how dare he!
Totally threw me for a loop.
Thought #2 – “But I would really love to do this…”
“The timing totally sucks but I would really like to do this. Hmmm, what if it was possible? I hired my coach to push me, and if I’m not going to accept these challenges then what the heck am I here for.”Once the initial shock calms down a bit that gives some space for desire to sneak in. And for me it becomes a matter of really acknowledging that yes, if it was possible I would REALLY love to be able to achieve this. With my challenge last year, I had already had some really great 5-figure months. And my brain started to wonder – “what if I could have MORE great months and continue to increase my income? Why the heck not!?” Thought #3 – “What if I try and I fail?”
“I don’t know if I can do this… yes, I would love to, but I really don’t know if I can. What if I suck? What will people think of me if I don’t reach my goal?”The anger/annoyance has settled, desire has crept in and now fear rears it’s ugly head. This is where I really start to doubt my ability to make stuff happen. This is where I start to worry about what other people might think of me. This is the point where I want it, but it all seems impossible. Basically this part sucks… and it is REALLY easy for me to get stuck here for a long time if I’m not careful. Thought #4 – “I’m going to make this happen”
“Alright, enough is enough. I refuse to be ruled by fear, so I need to just suck it up and decide that I’m going for it.”This may sound weird, but when I’m in this stage, I always get a vision in my mind of standing on the edge of a cliff and falling backwards. I have to trust that someone/something/someway will show up to make it happen. This part is all about faith – in myself, in my coach, in my team and in God. Thought #5 – “So how could we make this happen?”
“OK, so if I’m going to operate on the belief that I can create what I want in my life, then that means there must be a way. I wonder what some options might be?”Curiosity creeps in and this is where the challenge starts to feel lighter, more fun and actually possible. When I shift from “I can’t do this for A, B, C reasons” to “I’m going to do this now – how can I make this happen?” then the entire thing changes. I can tell you, with that first big challenge last year we did find a way. I reached my goal of making $25K that month and we did it in a way that would have NEVER occurred to me had I not been issued the challenge and accepted it. In fact, it’s still something that we do today and has made a big impact on the business overall. (Curious what it is? Just ask me and I’m bound to tell you.
)
Oh, and as a final note. I believe that a coach should really stretch you… and throw down a challenge every once in a while that really makes you go “eek!”. If you are a coach to your clients, what are you doing to really stretch them? If you are being coached, do you feel like you are being stretched enough?
(And I’m happy to say that we are only half-way through this month and a few of the ladies in my coaching program have already met their goal of making more $ in a month than they ever have before. Woo hoo! So we upped their goal even more. ){ 0 comments }
As an Online Business Manager and coach to OBM’s, I take a firm stand on the ‘partner with a client’ mentality. Yes, I am all for boundaries, doing what you love and staying authentic to your highest service.. but the truth is – sometimes things just need to get done!
Are you a “get it done at all costs” kinda person? If not, I will say.. maybe you are not being a team player?
Okay, I know that seemed a bit harsh, and as an OBM, we strive to be very efficient managers so that we don’t necessarily have to ‘do’ the getting it done… but there are times when you have to take one for the team and do whatever needs to get done.
The OBM’s who get this generally keep long term relationships with their clients, tend to have more confidence in their skillset and step into their expertise. Why? Because they have grasped what it is to ‘be invested’ with their clients.
Maybe you are asking ‘why should I be THAT invested in my clients business?’ That is a great question and I would like to answer it with 3 life principle reasons.
OBM Life Principle #1: for why you should ‘be invested’ in your clients business (note this is to the OBM’s out there – not as applicable for VA’s)
YOU will do your best work for what YOU are completely sold out for! This is not as much about your client as it is about what gets you out of bed in the morning and your mojo going toward something YOU LOVE to do. Why is this important? Well, because if you are not happy, excited, passionate, interested, committed to seeing a business grow.. then honestly it doesn’t matter how much money you make at the end of the day – you are not going to ‘feel’ successful in your business.
Often I explain it like this: when you become an OBM for a business owner you are essentially asking them to let you raise their child… they carried this business for X # of years, and yes they have stayed up nights, cleaned up messes, loved like crazy, nurtured, cried, they have fought for it to be whole, healthy, growing and stable. And now they need help.. but not just any help… someone who will stay up nights, clean up messes, love like crazy, nurture, cry and fight if needed for this business to come to it’s fullest potential….
What do you gain, you may be asking, for having become a surrogate to this business? KNOWING the work you have done has purpose, it accomplished what you promised and you are fulfilling the success of your business by committing to the success of your clients.
If that doesn’t generate zeal in you toward great work then you should consider that being a ‘support professional’ is not the best place for your talents (Just keeping it real 
OBM Life Principle # 2:
Life is based on relationships! The relationship you have with your business (your personal commitment to YOUR business) will reflect the relationship you have with your client, with their team and with their business… it is my personal opinion if you can not ‘be invested’ in your clients business it is likely because you are not overly committed to your own. If you are only working your business to ‘get paid’, please do all of us a favor and go get a J.O.B.
Anyone can get paid doing anything… ie: prostitutes… however when you are asking someone to share their life dream/purpose with you, asking them to entrust it into your expert hand, you need to realize this is not JUST business but it is a relationship you have entered into. And if you treat it as anything less, you will have missed the biggest blessing of being an Online Business Manager – getting to know some of the most phenomenal creative business people of our generation.
Honestly, I can not stress enough.. the relationship you have with your clients, teams and businesses are WORTH the investment… it’s not just about the money.
OBM Life Principle # 3:
We will call it the law of ‘reaping and sowing’ – You will only get out of the business (yours and clients) or the relationship (client, team) what you put into it. Plain and simple. If you plant a sunflower seed you will not reap a harvest of oranges! You must understand that to truly fulfill your potential for success in this industry YOU MUST catapult someone else’s success to the highest of it’s potential. (If you think about it, this is the same thing our clients do for their clients too.)
With these Life Principles in place toward your ability to serve your clients, you will ALWAYS be fulfilled in your business, energized to press forward, and have happy clients. It is my intention that you do GREAT work, enjoy it with all your heart and know that what you have done today has made the difference in someone fulfilling their dream.. feels good doesn’t it?
{ 0 comments }
So how can you help your clients grow their business? Taking care of the day-to-day is definitely part of it – managing projects, team and operations – however there is another level to impacting growth. What I like to call being “OBM 2.0″, and I’ll be sharing a number of tips here in the coming weeks to help you step into your OBM 2.0 shoes.
First, something simple but often overlooked. Doing a website review for your clients. I think it goes without saying, having old dates and wrong information on a website is not a good thing for business. (I recently visited the site of a well known 7-figure biz owner to find details on her live event which I knew was coming up, clicked the Event tab on her website and it took me to an event from last year. Eeek!)
So put yourself in the shoes of a website visitor and review your client’s website/s. Click all the links on all the menus and see where they take you – are all the links going to the latest/greatest information? Any broken links? Check sales pages to either a) update information with new dates or b) if a program is past, setup the site to offer a self-study or a “join our notification list for the next offering.” Do a general read of the main websites, does the information still apply? Anything need to be tweaked/rewritten?
Let your client know of updates you made or talk to them about the stuff that needs their input. Then drive the process to get it done. And make this something you do at least once a quarter, could be monthly for really busy clients.
{ 1 comment }
Video #9 (our final video) is with Certified OBM™ Michelle Lopez – who in 10 short months has gone from being afraid to talk on the phone to someone who accepts her value and is charging what she is worth. She is a great example of how business is as much a personal growth journey as it is a business growth journey – and that perseverance is key to creating what we want.
Only 5 Spots Still Available for the Fall OBM Certification Program
>> Click here to Submit your Application to be considered for the program that teaches you how to create a high-end virtual support business with a consistently full practice of top-notch clients who can easily afford your services (and are a blast to work with) <– woo hoo!{ 0 comments }
Video #8 is with Certified OBM™ Andrea Cinnamond – I just love the fact that Andrea found her inspiration from the show “What Not to Wear”
After having her children Andrea decided it was time for something new. Like me, Andrea started her business as a coach and after an opportunity to work as a marketing assistant for a coach training school she quickly realized that coaching wasn’t it – and so she started to shift her business…
After having her children Andrea decided it was time for something new. Like me, Andrea started her business as a coach and after an opportunity to work as a marketing assistant for a coach training school she quickly realized that coaching wasn’t it – and so she started to shift her business…
Only 5 Spots Still Available for the Fall OBM Certification Program
>> Click here to Submit your Application to be considered for the program that teaches you how to create a high-end virtual support business with a consistently full practice of top-notch clients who can easily afford your services (and are a blast to work with) <– woo hoo!{ 0 comments }
Alot of folks in the virtual support industry (OBMs, VAs and such) will get caught up in the idea of “looking like a *real* business.” Spending time on finding the perfect client name, creating a big ole fancy website, getting a load of business cards, etc.
These things are important and play a role of course – but keep in mind that clients want to hire YOU and not your business. When someone wants to hire an OBM they want an individual who can come in and really plug into what is going on – they aren’t looking for “Corporation X” to come in. It can actually work against you to try to be too professional – you may not connect with clients and if you represent yourself as something you are not that could set you up for failure. (ie: If you say “we” on your website and it’s only you – big pet peeve of mine!)
Be real, be authentic and come from a place of service – you are enough to serve your clients simply being you vs. trying to build up something “bigger” around you.
{ 0 comments }
Video #7 is with Certified OBM™ Denise Milligan. So many of us talk about enjoying the freedom that working virtually affords us – yet in my experience most people don’t actually make that happen. Denise is a great example for those of you who have the “travel bug”, as she has built her business to allow her to live part time in Spain each year (dreamy.)
Want to hear more stories and explore becoming an Online Business Manager?
>> Click here to Register for a Free 3-part Training Series exclusively for folks interested in creating a high-end virtual support business that allows you to have a consistently full practice of top-notch clients who can easily afford your services (and are a blast to work with) <– woo hoo!
{ 0 comments }
