HOW TO BOOTSTRAP YOUR NEW BUSINESS IN THE PANDEMIC

I lost my job in the pandemic. I am part of the statistics, along with 5M other Filipinos who lost their jobs and livelihood in April of 2020. 

Thankfully, because of my Neuro-Linguistic Programming background, I was able to immediately shift my mindset, from that of a victim to the mindset of an empowered individual.

I pivoted to training real estate entrepreneurs on how they can transition their business online. By February of 2021, I was able to do 178 paid, live trainings to over 3,500 individuals, spending only $308 in Facebook ads. 

How did I do it? What strategies did I use?

1. Deep understanding of your market – I coined a term for what I do as a Neuro Linguistic Programming practitioner, with over 20 years of experience in advertising and marketing and a background of e-commerce from my first business. I call it Brain Science Selling. With this framework, all sales transactions happen in your brain. It starts with the business owner’s mindset and how deeply he understands his market. In my case, I know how the real estate industry works, having been a former CMO of a developer. The sales teams are very competitive. They want what the others want. My strategy? Social proof. Using my own Facebook profile (I did not create a page until after later), I shared Zoom photos of my trainings with the teams and tagged those who are in my network. The tags allowed my posts to be seen by their network so it’s instant advertising for me. It organically magnifies that content and was shown to the relevant target market.
2. Provide tons of value – Trainers would usually stop at the end of the 60th minute or whatever time you agreed on. I walked the extra mile. I asked the participants for their Facebook pages so I can follow them and let them know what I think about their strategies and content even after the training. That provided real connection with me and the participants. Many of them were promoted late last year and were then able to get me for their team’s own trainings.
3. Work with teams – I started my business using the one-to-many model. I targeted team leaders, sales directors, entrepreneurs with a small sales team, chambers, brokerage groups, associations, networking groups. There are two reasons why you should do this: One, you get an instant big following. Two, you get them on your Zoom account, they register and you build your email list. Again, this magnifies your single Zoom training to a relationship you can take to social media or to emails. Working with organizations and associations also allows you to meet more decision makers who are again potential clients.
4. Use Reach and Video Views. – So, how did I use the $308 in Facebook ads? Reach and Video Views. Reach allowed me to create more awareness for my new brand. But the strategy behind this goes back to #1. I boosted testimonials, photos of trainings and text feedback from participants and showed them to a similar market. Video views on the other hand helped build my authority when I consistently created short video tips as teasers for my live courses. Same with #2, provide tons of value. Before and after the transaction.

These 4 strategies propelled me to an immediate 5-figure business in 4 months, with only $308 in ad spend. 

I am now in the process of scaling and automating my business with digital courses and PDFs for those who cannot afford the live trainings. I have also added consulting, one-on-one and one-to-few coaching with select business owners and believers of this strategy.

What about you? What strategy do you think you can apply to your business?

By Valerie Fischer

~Business Game Changer Special Promotion~

BIO:

Valerie Fischer is a Neuro Linguistic Programming practitioner. She has over 20 years of experience in advertising and marketing, and co-founded an e-commerce site for locally made products. She was a Chief Marketing Officer in a real estate company in 2019 but, along with millions of Filipinos last year, she was let go during the pandemic. And, as her story goes, this unfortunate incident actually saved her. It led her to her purpose.

She now helps online business owners and entrepreneurs grow their revenue with Brain Science Selling.

Business Game Changer TV

A unique station produced by Business Game Changer Magazine, The Property Investor and Money and Finance Magazine.

"A game changing business owner sees an opportunity - which others do not fully recognise - to meet an unsatisfied demand or to radically improve the performance of an existing business. We have unquenchable self-belief that this opportunity can be made real through hard work, commitment and the adaptability to learn the lessons of the market along the way.  We are not diverted or discouraged by scepticism from 'experts' or from those from whom they seek backing and support, but willing to weigh all advice and select that which will be helpful." - Kizzi Nkwocha, publisher of Business Game Changer Magazine.

The Business Game Changer TV station incorporates Business Game Changer Magazine, The Property Investor and Money and Finance Magazine.

Join the Game Changer tribe by subscribing to Business Game Changer TV

Load More... Subscribe