I graduated high school early and took a short “gap” period before my freshman semester in college to pursue acting, the same career I later graduated college early so I could move to LA to pursue.
The big difference between the two time periods and my results acting had nothing to do with my talent or experience and everything to do with my sales approach.
See, during that gap period, my attempts at booking acting work looked like: getting headshots, being in an acting class, and hoping I’d get discovered.
Bless my 17-year-old self, I didn’t know any better. I really thought that’s how the industry worked and someone would “find” me on the beaches of Ft. Lauderdale or at the mall.
By the time I was in LA, I knew, yes, my job was to continue to sharpen my skills and craft, get the tools I needed like professional photos, AND I had to actively and directly look for ways to get myself auditions, in the room with decision-makers, and create opportunities.
I had to network, market, and sell…and build a team to help me do the same.
Because every coffee shop, bar, restaurant, gym, valet lot, store, salon, and party in LA were filled with hopefuls waiting to be discovered…not only were the odds against you, but this was a pretty passive approach in an anything-but-passive industry.
The same is true for business online. It’s crowded, and there are a lot of entrepreneurs hoping they’ll be discovered and make it big with the seven-figure paychecks to match.
If you’re struggling to “get discovered” online, I’d bet it has nothing to do with being “good enough” or “lucky”, and it’s likely that the actions you’re taking are more passive than active, or they’re not directly encouraging sales.
Passive sales looks like the actor hoping they’ll get discovered at the coffee shop or that gap year of mine and spending all of your time in classes, courses, learning, and getting tools like your photos and website.
Active sales actions look like showing up daily to put out an offer (getting an agent and auditions), reaching out to someone you know, pitching your offer on a live, or following up with a potential lead.
I often see newer business owners avoid direct, active selling because of the stories they tell themselves - it’s icky, it’s pushy, it’s annoying, what if someone says ‘no’, because these kinds of sales actions can be uncomfortable and open you up to rejection the way waiting to be discovered never will, or even buying into the belief that if you’re “so good they can’t ignore you” and if you just work on your craft enough, people will figure it out and come flocking to hire you.
But, just like in Hollywood, there are very few entrepreneurs who “make it big” because they were discovered, and for any of those stories that might exist, that’s a tough path to sustain without marketing and sales to keep it going.
The business owners who are making the show-stopping six and seven-figures make their own luck and “get discovered” by putting themselves out there and in front of someone to find them and directly to sell their work every day.
Because, when you open up the possibility for rejection, you also open up the possibility of hearing a ‘yes’, making a sale, and being able to do your beautiful work and get paid for it instead of waiting around for someone to discover you.
Wishing you your version of success!
P.S. Nodding along and know it’s time to stop waiting to be discovered and directly and actively work your sales process to bring in more of the right-fit clients who love to pay you?
Or maybe you feel like you’ve been marketing and selling your face off, but the noise online has been making it that much harder to get seen and heard, and you’re feeling the need to update and uplevel your sales strategy?
Well, it’s your lucky day, and I’m continuing to open up my fully booked calendar to you with exclusive free coaching sessions, so I can put my money where my mouth is.
Whether you’ve been selling for years and feel you’ve got a well-oiled business that’s in need of a tune up to take you to the next level or need support getting out there to sell for the first time, I got you, and I’ll meet you where you’re at.
Want to snag this exclusive free session with a multi-six-figure coach who has a track record with helping clients getting their own six and seven-figure results?
This invitation is for you if you’re already clear on your business and what you sell, are all-in and committed to your business success, are here to play the long game and aren’t looking for a quick-fix answer, and most importantly, you’re coachable.
Sound like you? Book an Exclusive FREE 30-minute Six-Figure Sales Strategy Refresh Session here.
Spots are limited and first come, first serve, and for people I haven’t had the opportunity of connecting with and supporting before as I run a booked out, multi-six-figure business, and I’m busy supporting clients. If you want my eyes all over your business and sales strategy, snag your session before they’re booked up.
