Business Tao with George Kao

Here is Adele Wang interviewing me about the topic of uniqueness in business. Enjoy!Watch the video or comment here:https://www.facebook.com/georgekaocommunity/posts/850537988925815 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit georgekao.substack.com

Here's a sample of a course I'm currently teaching.To enroll in the full course and access all the links:https://www.georgekao.com/authenticenrollment This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit georgekao.substack.com

As a heart-centered business owner, you’re very supportive of others. This can mean you’re not mindful about your boundaries sometimes, and you give away more than you sustainably can.When friends or family are interested in your services, do you instinctually offer them free sessions or access to your programs?Here’s my recommended guidelines regarding what to offer for free to family, friends and colleagues.**Watch the video or add your comments here:https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeKaoCommunity/posts/2612527942360670 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit georgekao.substack.com

Jeremy Blanchard's passion is supporting coaches to fall in love with client enrollment. He’s been training life & leadership coaches for 7 years in the art of enrollment. He’s also a course leader, mentor coach, and the Director of Enrollment at a professional coach training school: The Academy for Coaching Excellence. After attending his trainings, Jeremy’s students are actually looking forward to having sales & enrollment conversations, because they see what a difference that conversation can make in the life of a prospective client, whether or not they sign up.Jeremy is on staff for the Academy for Coaching Excellence: https://acecoachtraining.comVideo: https://youtu.be/ckXucCEOBIYIn this interview we discuss:Principle: “tell the truth” - The key distinguishing factor I’ve noticed between the enrollment conversations that feel “sales-y” and the ones that feel true to who you are is whether or not you’re telling the truth. Here, I don’t mean “truth vs directly lying” per se. I mean “truth vs hidden intention.” It often looks like Ways to implement that:Clarify the purpose - What is the purpose of this conversation? State it up front. Applies in a referral call or in an enrollment call with a prospect. Could sound like... [insert example]. If the purpose of a referral call is to have them refer people to your coaching practice, don’t say that it’s a “friend catch up call.”If the purpose of an enrollment call is to see if you’re a good fit to work together, don’t say that it’s for them to discover “key steps to move their business forward” or call it a “coaching call.”Permission - Ask permission before going on to each next part of the conversation. Two examples: Which is more empowering and opens up more possibility?“Okay, it sounds like you’re having challenges with X and want Y. Let me tell you how my coaching can help with that…”“Okay, it sounds like you’re having challenges with X and really wanting Y. Would it be useful to talk for a bit about how my services might be able to support with that?”Ways to apply permission:After stating the purpose: “How does that sound?” (checking that you’re on the same page_)Before sharing what: “I think I have a good understanding of what you’re looking for. Would it be useful to look at how what I do might be of service?”Before introducing the logistics/price: “Sounds like we’re on the same page that the services I’m describing are along the lines of what you’re looking for. Is that right? … Great. Would it be useful for me to share a bit about the logistics, price, etc?”Before supporting them if they aren’t sure about signing up: “Would it be supportive to talk through whether this program is the right fit at the right time given what you’re looking for”“Would it be useful to talk about ways you might be able to get creative to have this work financially for you?”Jeremy is on staff for the Academy for Coaching Excellence: https://acecoachtraining.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit georgekao.substack.com

If you can love the process, you’ll stick with it. If you stick with it, you’ll get enough practice to succeed!Watch the video or add your comments here:https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeKaoCommunity/posts/954675228215336   This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit georgekao.substack.com

Corbett Barr's Fizzle podcast helped me a lot when I was starting my business. It's great to finally be able to interview him! We discuss what is a "creator" and the overall path to being a successful one -- mindset as well as marketing. Enjoy!LINKS:https://fizzle.cohttps://corbettbarr.comWatch the video or add a comment here:https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeKaoCommunity/posts/10160816802499867/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit georgekao.substack.com

Here's a sample of a course I'm currently teaching.To enroll in the full course and access all the links:https://www.georgekao.com/money This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit georgekao.substack.com

Millions of people have tried the “Law Of Attraction” (popularized by “The Secret”) … and no matter how hard they try, they don’t manifest those millions of dollars they envisioned.If they go into debt to buy that fancy house or car, they usually regret the debt. Or that so-called “perfect” relationship they visualized, doesn’t end up working out.**Watch the video here:https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeKaoCommunity/videos/3339605176148656/ **Visualization is ineffective — even detrimental — when used only to imagine the ideal outcome.Instead, what if we use visualization to strengthen the process of our actions towards the desired outcome?If we can manifest a joyful way of working day to day, rather than pining for a better future, we give ourselves the best chance at creating our ideal life.There are 2 things that make this work:1. Successful visualization focuses on the process, even more than the outcome.2. Visualization is a fantasy, unless tied closely to real-world practice.Focusing On The ProcessMost people visualize only the desired outcomes.“I’ve written my best-selling book… I’m holding it in my hands… I’m seeing hundreds of positive reviews!”“I’ve filled my workshop… I see a large group of students who are joyfully experiencing transformation!”“I’ve filled my practice with ideal clients… I imagine myself working with high-paying clients on a typical workday!”These are good mental pictures to have, insofar as they:Helps you feel that the end vision is possible to attainHelp you see what direction to work towardsIt can, however, be detrimental to merely create the self-belief that you “deserve” it.Your vision may be ungrounded from the reality of what it actually takes to achieve it. You might also develop a false belief that you are entitled to it… and when you don’t attain that vision which you frequently repeat, it creates even more self-doubt than when you started.By failing to achieve your dream, you might even doubt the tool of visualization!Let’s take a deep breath.There’s a better way to use visualization.Here is what we all truly “deserve” — to improve our journey/process.A good process eventually leads to a good outcome.Consistent actions, in the right direction, create miraculous results over time!In the book The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy, he tells the story of 2 people:Aaron takes a job for $5,000/month, a job that uses only his existing skills.Barbara starts a business that earns her $10 in the first week, but with repeated improvement in her skills, it results in 10% growth in income each week.Observe the wealth of these two people:3rd month: total of $15,000 (Aaron) versus $235 (Barbara)12th month: total of $60,000 versus $15,00018th month: total of $90,000 versus $186,00024th month: total of $120,000 (Aaron) versus $2.2 million (Barbara)Again, consistent actions, with consistent small improvements, create the kind of results that many only visualize, but never manifest. Therefore, visualize enjoying the process so that you’ll do it consistently, growing gradually in your skill and joy!I’m grateful that my books have received many good reviews, but I didn’t use outcome-visualization,... This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit georgekao.substack.com

I used to believe in the conventional marketing idea that if the audience isn’t buying, it’s because they haven’t seen your offer enough times.The rule of 7 is that a prospective buyer needs to see your marketing message at least 7 times before they truly decide whether to buy.From my decade of marketing experience — especially the past 5 years of consistent rhythm of offers — I haven’t found this idea to be true.**Watch the video here:https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeKaoCommunity/posts/10160696877999867 **Most buyers see my offer 1–3 times before signing up, if they sign up at all.If an offer isn’t a good fit — or if there isn’t enough of a trusting relationship — they can see the offer a dozen times and still not buy. And by that point, they’re experiencing what’s called “ad fatigue” — they’re tired of seeing the offer. The relationship between the business and the audience begins to erode.Here’s a 3-part checklist to figure out why your audience isn’t buying:ReachMatchTrustReachYour potential buyers need to see a specific offer at least once, and I would suggest up to three times within a month, before you know whether they’ve decided to buy.More than three times in a month, and they’ll probably be entering Ad Fatigue.It seems to me that many of you aren’t letting your audience know often enough about the thing you’re trying to sell.Maybe you don’t want to come across as salesy. Rightly so. Much of marketing out there does feel salesy… but you don’t have to do it that way.I aim to do my marketing in a heart-based and authentic way, and my audience seems to like it better than most other marketing they’ve seen.Whatever you’re trying to sell, it is important to let your audience know, up to three times this month, about that product or service. Next month, move onto another product/service, or try saying it in a very different way.If you’ve done this, and you’re surprised how few of them are buying, then it’s likely one of the following issues: Match or Trust.MatchHow well-matched is your offer to their wants?Have you surveyed your audience about the options you could offer? For example, every few months, I poll my audience about the upcoming courses I could teach, and see what they vote on. I then offer what is popular.OK, you’re offering the right solution for the problem they wish to solve right now. However, is the price a good match for them? How would you know? Ask them what they’ve bought — or have considered buying — to try to solve that problem. Compared to those options they’ve considered, is your price in the right range?What about timing?When people don’t buy, they sometimes say “it’s not the right time” but in my experience, that is often a courteous excuse that “it’s not really a good fit for me” because when it is a great match, they will buy it anyway.The exceptions are live events and services: maybe they’re going away in the next few weeks and literally cannot engage with your event or service in that same timeframe, but they really want to. Hopefully, you’ll offer a popular service or event several times a year so you can catch them the next time.If there is a match in interest and price, but you’re still surprised your audience isn’t... This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit georgekao.substack.com

Which marketing methods have been used on you, that turn you off? Take notice. Don’t use such methods.Authentic marketing is simply following the Golden Rule: (not) doing unto others what you (don’t) want done unto you.**Watch the video here:https://www.facebook.com/georgeKaocommunity/posts/130166185004235     **I surveyed the students of my marketing course, Authentic Client Attraction/Enrollment, about the marketing methods that turn them off. This blog post will list the commonly mentioned ones, and I’ll share a better alternative for each…Lead MagnetsA “lead magnet” is a free thing that requires the person’s email address in order to access it. This is incredibly common and chances are that you’re either using it, or are thinking about it.This came up several times from my students (smart, good-hearted business owners) as being one of the top tactics that turned them off.We don’t have to use lead magnets to build a great audience. Read more: No more lead magnets.Sales Funnels“Isn’t this one of the key strategies for effective online marketing?” one might ask.Not in the experience of the students I surveyed. Many of them feel turned off by this kind of overly-scripted, forced experience of getting to know a business.Read more: No more sales funnels.Pushy HeadlinesJust look in your own email inbox and you’ll probably find some headlines that are clickbaity, simply trying to get you to open it instead of providing useful info. Maybe there’s pressure about something expiring. Or a line that doesn’t tell you anything about the email other than a basic message of “you’ll want to open this!” or “you’ll regret not seeing this!”But isn’t that what headlines are supposed to do? To get you to open the email?Here’s an alternative: Make your headline an interesting overview/summary of what they’ll read in the email. You might ask: “After reading the email, how would the reader summarize it, in an interesting way?” This is honest, respectful, and you’ll build a trustworthy reputation with your subscribers.They’ll be proud to forward your email onto their friends.Free Webinars that are actually Sales PitchesMaybe you’ve attended one of these: a so-called “free” training or online seminar that was supposed to give you helpful, valuable information, and turned out to be a carefully-designed sales pitch for an expensive program, tool, or service. Most of the content of the webinar is spent building up the credibility of the expert, “educating” the audience on the framework of the problem, and why they need the product that will be sold.Sometimes they’ll keep saying “Watch all the way to the end” to get a special bonus / secret or something else. Again, the point of the webinar was to sell, not to serve. (The audience would not have agreed to come if they knew the real intention.)I know this method very well, because I conducted hundreds of these in my early years in business and ended up teaching others how to do it. Needless to say, I wish I knew better. Now I do.Alternative: Offer a truly helpful webinar that is free-to-attend, but paid as a recording. This puts you into a mindset that you are creating a... This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit georgekao.substack.com