I like to joke about how bad I am with numbers. In fact, I’ll share a little secret with you.

While I was Student Body President and close to a straight A student in high school taking mostly Advanced Placement classes….. I had to repeat Algebra II!

That’s right, I basically failed math.  

Embarrassing but true. I wanted to die a thousand deaths at the time, but I’ve come to accept that certain types of math spook me into stupidity! 

So stay tuned because I WILL be doing math today! (AAAAHHHHHH!) 

I have what you might call “math anxiety”, and yet EVEN I can figure out when you’re fudging the numbers that drive your business.

Read on even if you’re HONEST ABE, because this is about getting real, as much as its about being honest.

PLUS, I’ll give you a fast formula for a six-figure speaking income!

The following story REALLY HAPPENED. 

I had the pleasure of adding a few new ROCK STARS to my private coaching program, and along the way I met a few characters too

IMPORTANT: The story below is NOT about you, and yet it is, so follow along. 

The point of sharing this particular story, is not to mock anyone, but to shine a light on something that MANY people do.Its a little more extreme than most cases, and might even sound a little silly as a result, but ask yourself if maybe you’ve done your own more subtle version yourself.

Here’s the story I was told by “Bob” in a recent strategy session:

>>> I’m a local celebrity!
>>> I had hundreds of speaking gigs in 2012!
>>> Everyone raves about my talks! I’m a GREAT speaker!
>>> My local talks had an average of 20-30 people
>>> My closing ratio is about 50%
>>> I’m not sure how much money I made in 2012…. I think it was MAYBE $60K

>>> My goal is to make $350K this year, but I‘m not ready for a coach, I’m in the middle of a 6 week series right now. Maybe after that.

ARRRRRRUUUUUGA!!!! ARRRRUUUUUUGA!!!


Somebody sound the B.S. DETECTOR alarm because while I might stink at math, this story stinks even more

(Sorry but it does. And its not helping the person telling it.)  

Three important points stand out to me, and while this story is a little extreme, I hear bits and pieces, and varying versions of this from nice people like you, all year-round. 

1) The only reason to have a strategy session or hire a coach is to get help. While its IMPORTANT and extremely valuable to know your strengths, if you spend MOST of your time “covering up” any perceived “short-comings”, you’re already off-track .

(especially if its a one-off strategy session… let’s just get to helping you, please!)

Let me be clear,I’ve never had anyone claim their own celebrity before, but I’ve had many people tell me about what a great speaker they are, though none were making what they should, given how great they were professing to be. (see my point?)

Every highly successful person I know, knows exactly where they want to grow. 

Maybe you ARE a good speaker…. and maybe its time to GET GREAT!

Maybe you ARE getting compliments, but if you don’t know how to convert that into leads, clients, and cash, you still have A LOT of room to grow.

Remember in life you’re either growing or going.
I love growing. I’m never done growing. And I hope you feel the same!
 

2) Compliments are not cash, and do not count as results.

Compliments are great, but if you’re trying to grow your business, compliments aren’t going to help you. 

“Bob” says he had 100 speaking gigs, with an average of 20 people per room, which means he spoke to 2,000 people in the past year.

With his 50%
closing ratio, that mean he closed 1,000 people last year.
He would only have needed a $100 average sale to get into 6-figures. So this math doesn’t add up. His numbers weren’t real

So obviously, be willing to get real, and you will get REAL HELP & REAL RESULTS! That’s how it works! But let’s go even further. 

Here’s some simple, real-world math (even I CAN DO) that adds 6-figures to your income:

>>> Speak THREE times per month

>>> Speak to an average of 30 people

>>> Close 25% of the room with an average sale of $500

>>> You will single-handedly generate $135,000.00 from speaking  

BOOMCHAKA-LAKABOOM! Its getting REAL NOW!

3) If you say you want to earn multiple six figures, but you’re not investing in ongoing coaching, you have a BIG ALIGNMENT / BELIEVABILITY PROBLEM.

You are going to have one helluva time closing coaching clients, if you don’t believe in investing in a coach yourself. That’s the biggest challenge.  

And while signing up for lots of little series here and there is fun, and speaks to the inner ADD in all of us, (HEY was that a pink elephant?) its generally not what will take your coaching business from $50k into multiple sixfigures in a single year.

Four good rules for hiring the right coach at the right investment level:  

1. Find someone who believes in you, and will speak the truth to you.

2. Commit to doing everything they ask you to do, and a little more.

3. Set exciting goals that are a stretch & have the strategy to back it up in the real world.

4. Be willing to invest 10-20% of what your income goal is, into the training you’ll need to get there. 

A good coach wants the best for you, but can only help you as much as you are willing to help yourself! You deserve to experience a ROCKIN 2013, and it can all happen for you when you get real, get honest, and get into action

And of course, I’m here ready to challenge you & cheer you on along the way!