Making money online was supposed to be EASY! The internet said so, so it must be true, right?  Except the actual truth is, you've tried just about everything and your business is not making money... Now what??

I mean everyone else is doing it aren't they? You get yourself a website (or even just a social media account of some sort).  You throw up some content and a few pics of yourself looking all 'entrepreneurial' and cool, then you just let people know where to find you and BOOM - you're rich!

So why isn't it working?

You've read all the 'how to's', you've signed up for all the free webinars, you've even shelled out for courses that PROMISED they'd make you rich...

But still nada... no 'making money while you sleep', no 'retiring your partner' because you've just got so much dosh rolling in... 

WHAT ARE YOU DOING WRONG???

Well friend, get comfy because I'm about to tell you the one thing that no one ever seems to talk about, but which you absolutely NEED to understand if you're ever going to get to the bottom of this making money malarky....

(Oh, and I've even included a free gift for you if you scroll... *ahem*... READ to the bottom!)

Ok, I've kept you in suspense long enough. I'm talking about CUSTOMER JOURNEY.

Yep, that's it.  I know, I know it doesn't sound nearly as exciting or 'secret weaponish' as you were hoping, but believe me, once you get this, everything you do in your business is going to make so much more sense. And selling is going to feel so much easier.

Simply put, this is the journey that you need to take people on in order for them to buy from you.

Let me explain by telling you a story about how I got my first clients...

You may already know that when I first started my business back in 2016, I didn't set out to be a business coach, but rather a copywriter.  And I was lucky enough to have several clients booked before I'd even left my 9-5.

How?

Not because I'm some kind of sales wizard - in fact no sales pitch was necessary.

You see, the first people I spoke to about my new business were friends and colleagues who already knew me, who knew my work and who trusted me.

What do you think might have happened if I'd contacted business owners who didn't know me yet?

What about if I'd put some ads on Facebook, targeting my ideal clients?

I doubt I'd have seen any new clients.  After all, why should someone who doesn't even know who I am yet sign me as their copywriter?

And THAT, right there, is why SO many people struggle to make money with their business.

"Hold on - so I can only sell to my friends and family??"

Not quite! But you shouldn't even think about trying to sell something to someone until you're a lot more to them than a complete stranger. And that my friend, is where the customer journey comes in...

We humans are an emotional lot and the fact is, it's those pesky emotions which drive our buying decisions.

We don't spend £££££'s on a new car simply because we need a mode of transport to get us from A to B.  We choose the car because of how it makes us feel. 

We don't spend £££'s on that new pair of shoes simply because we need protection for our feet when we go outside.  We do it because of how the shoes make us feel.

And when you're deciding to buy from any business, you make your decision based on how you feel about them.  It doesn't matter how great they look on paper, if you don't connect with them, you're going to look elsewhere.

If your business is not making money right now, then you're not taking people on that journey.  You're asking them to buy before they're ready to (or you're not asking them to buy at all...)!

The good news? 

That's something you can fix. 

It's all about the KLT factor...

I've always been rather intrigued by the idea of speed dating.  My hubby and I have been together since I was 19 so it's not something I've ever tried (or am likely to, all being well!) BUT I must say, I think it's a great way to get out there and meet people.  

Now, even the most inexperienced in the world of relationships knows that you don't go to a speed dating event with a ring in your pocket, expecting to come away with a fiancé by the end of the night!

It all starts with a conversation, you share your stories and backgrounds and see if there's a connection.

Then perhaps you arrange a second date so you can get to know each other better.

Only much further down the line, once you've spent time with each other, perhaps met each other's families and friends, learned each other's annoying habits and built some trust, would you even consider marriage.

The same goes for your customers. You can't just go up to them and ask them to hand over their money without a bit of wooing first!

This is where content marketing and social media are so key.

In order for people to know (or care) that you exist, you need to show them what you have to offer (without expecting any kind of commitment on their part - we're wooing them, remember!)

Your content should tell people who you are and it should show people how you can help them.

At every stage of the customer journey, you need to give people a next step.  Without that next step, their journey ends there - and we don't want that!

So once your customer has seen your content and got to know you - what's next?

Well, just like speed dating, you want to get to know each other more!  It's still early days so nothing too scary just yet...

Now the key here is to focus on the specific people you actually want to sell to.

Your instinct will be to try to appeal to EVERYONE.

You need to ignore that instinct.

In fact, you need to actively repel the people who aren't your ideal clients.

Yes, really.

For example, I want to attract introvert mum service providers who want to hit consistent 5k months in the next year and who want to do it by developing and filling a high serving offer of at least £1000.

Family is important to me - so I'd like to attract people who feel the same.

Work/Life balance is important to me so I'd like to attract people who feel the same.

In contrast, I'm not into the more 'woo' side of the business world. Crystals and manifesting just aren't my thing, so I won't attract people for whom those things are important.  And that's all good because I probably wouldn't be the right person for them to work with anyway. But other non-woo biz owners?  Well they'll be more attracted to my business because we share that in common...

Make sense? 

We connect and feel closer to those with whom we have common ground, whether that be shared backgrounds, shared experiences or shared values.

They like you!  They're starting to feel ready for more...

No, put the ring away! We're not there yet...

It's time to ask for their email address.

NOW we're getting close to the good stuff (and by good stuff, I mean the part where you start making some actual money)!

You see, once someone is on your community you have a wonderful opportunity to actually make it worth their while.

We all get a gazillion emails in our inboxes and most of us are in a gazillion Facebook groups.   

This is your time to shine! To be one of those emails or Facebook groups that they actually look forward to engaging with.

How?

Same as always! Just keep doing what you've been doing.  Give them value, give them help and most importantly, keep giving them YOU.

Don't hold back. Show your personality - warts and all.